Process for the measurement of the potency of glatiramer acetate

Abstract

The subject invention provides a process for measuring the relative potency of a test batch of glatiramer acetate. In addition, the subject invention provides a process for preparing a batch of glatiramer acetate as acceptable for pharmaceutical use.

1 . A process for measuring the potency of a test batch of glatiramer acetate relative to the known potency of a reference batch which comprises
 a. immunizing female (SJLXBALB/C)F1 mice between 8 and 12 weeks of age with a predetermined amount of glatiramer acetate from the reference batch.   b. preparing a primary culture of lymph node cells from the mice of step (a) 9-11 days after immunization;   c. separately incubating at least five reference samples, each of which contains a predetermined number of cells from the primary culture of step (b) and a predetermined amount of glatiramer acetate between 1 μg/ml and 25 μg/ml from a reference batch;   d. incubating at least two samples, each of which contains a predetermined number of cells from the primary culture of step (b) and a predetermined amount of glatiramer acetate from the test batch;   e. determining for each sample in steps (c) and (d), the amount of interleukin-2 secreted by the cells in each sample after 18-21 hours of incubation of such sample;   f. correlating the amounts of interleukin-2 secreted by the samples incubated with the test batch of glatiramer acetate with the amounts of interleukin-2 secreted by the samples incubated with the reference batch of glatiramer acetate so as to determine the potency of the test batch of glatiramer acetate relative to the reference batch of glatiramer acetate,   wherein in each sample in steps (c) and (d), the predetermined number of cells is substantially identical, and wherein for each sample containing a predetermined amount of glatiramer acetate from the test batch there is a corresponding reference sample containing a substantially identical predetermined amount of glatiramer acetate from the reference batch.   
     
     
         2 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein six reference samples are separately incubated in step (d). 
     
     
         3 . A process for measuring the potency of a test batch of glatiramer acetate relative to the known potency of a reference batch which comprises
 a. immunizing a test mammal with a predetermined amount of glatiramer acetate from the reference batch;   b. preparing a primary culture of cells from the test mammal of step (a) at a predetermined time after immunization;   c. separately incubating at least two reference samples, each of which contains a predetermined number of cells from the primary culture of step (b) and a predetermined amount of glatiramer acetate from a reference batch;   d. incubating at least two samples, each of which contains a predetermined number of cells from the primary culture of step (b) and a predetermined amount of glatiramer acetate from the test batch;   e. determining for each sample in steps (c) and (d), the amount of a cytokine secreted by the cells in each sample after a predetermined time period of incubation of such sample;   f. correlating the amounts of the cytokine secreted by the samples incubated with the test batch of glatiramer acetate with the amounts of the cytokine secreted by the samples incubated with the reference batch of glatiramer acetate so as to determine the potency of the test batch of glatiramer acetate relative to the reference batch of glatiramer acetate,   wherein in each sample in steps (c) and (d), the predetermined number of cells is substantially identical, and wherein for each immunization sample containing a predetermined amount of glatiramer acetate from the test batch there is a corresponding reference sample containing a substantially identical predetermined amount of glatiramer acetate from the reference batch.   
     
     
         4 . The process of  claim 3 , wherein the cytokine is an interleukin. 
     
     
         5 . The process of  claim 4 , wherein the interleukin is interleukin-2. 
     
     
         6 . The process of  claim 4 , wherein the interleukin is interleukin-6. 
     
     
         7 . The process of  claim 4 , wherein the interleukin is interleukin-10. 
     
     
         8 . The process of  claim 3 , wherein the cytokine is interferon-gamma. 
     
     
         9 . The process of  claim 3 , wherein the mammal produces T cells specific to glatiramer acetate reference standard. 
     
     
         10 . The process of  claim 3 , wherein the mammal is a rodent. 
     
     
         11 . The process of  claim 10 , wherein the rodent is a mouse. 
     
     
         12 . The process of  claim 11 , wherein the mouse is a female (SJLXBALB/C)F1 mouse. 
     
     
         13 . The process of  claim 3 , wherein the mammal is about 8 to about 12 weeks old. 
     
     
         14 . The process of  claim 3 , wherein the cells are lymph node cells. 
     
     
         15 . The process of  claim 3 , wherein the cells are spleen cells. 
     
     
         16 . A process for preparing a batch of glatiramer acetate as acceptable for pharmaceutical use which comprises
 a. preparing a batch of glatiramer acetate;   b. measuring the relative potency of the batch according to the process of  claim 1 ; and   c. qualifying the batch as acceptable for pharmaceutical use if the relative potency so measured is between 80% and 125% of the reference batch of glatiramer acetate.   
     
     
         17 . A process for preparing glatiramer acetate acceptable for pharmaceutical use which comprises
 a. preparing a batch of glatiramer acetate;   b. measuring the relative potency of the batch according to the process of  claim 3 ; and   c. qualifying the batch as acceptable for pharmaceutical use if the relative potency so measured is between 80% and 125% of the reference batch of glatiramer acetate.