Ultra scale‐down approach to correct dispersive and retentive effects in small‐scale columns when predicting larger scale elution profiles

Ultra scale‐down approaches represent valuable methods for chromatography development work in the biopharmaceutical sector, but for them to be of value, scale‐down mimics must predict large‐scale process performance accurately. For example, one application of a scale‐down model involves using it to predict large‐scale elution profiles correctly with respect to the size of a product peak and its position in a chromatogram relative to contaminants. Predicting large‐scale profiles from data generated by small laboratory columns is complicated, however, by differences in dispersion and retention volumes between the two scales of operation. Correcting for these effects would improve the accuracy of the scale‐down models when predicting outputs such as eluate volumes at larger scale and thus enable the efficient design and operation of subsequent steps. This paper describes a novel ultra scale‐down approach which uses empirical correlations derived from conductivity changes during operation of laboratory and pilot columns to correct chromatographic profiles for the differences in dispersion and retention. The methodology was tested by using 1 mL column data to predict elution profiles of a chimeric monoclonal antibody obtained from Protein A chromatography columns at 3 mL laboratory‐ and 18.3 L pilot‐scale. The predictions were then verified experimentally. Results showed that the empirical corrections enabled accurate estimations of the characteristics of larger‐scale elution profiles. These data then provide the justification to adjust small‐scale conditions to achieve an eluate volume and product concentration which is consistent with that obtained at large‐scale and which can then be used for subsequent ultra scale‐down operations. © 2009 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 2009