{
  "id": 7824441,
  "title": "Choice of Excipients Dramatically Affects Antibody Solubility",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/16/choice-of-excipients-dramatically-affects-antibody-solubility",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-09-16T16:00:53.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "GEN Biotechnology",
    "slug": "gen-biotechnology",
    "url": "https://www.genengnews.com/topics/bioprocessing/choice-of-excipients-dramatically-affects-antibody-solubility/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The excipients used in therapeutic protein formulations significantly impact antibody solubility, as revealed by researchers from the University of Cambridge, Eindhoven University of Technology, and Merck. These inactive ingredients exhibit distinct effects on solubility based on specific physicochemical factors. A study analyzing four common pharmaceutical excipients—histidine, sodium chloride, arginine, and sucrose—on therapeutic IgG antibodies demonstrated that their solubility varies significantly, ranging from a 7-fold to a 200-fold difference. The researchers employed a high-throughput droplet microfluidic platform to investigate the impact of these excipients on the solubility of antibodies, finding that the solubility is strongly dependent on the antibodies themselves. The solubility of antibodies can be quantitatively linked to specific molecular features derived from sequence and structure. For instance, when evaluating the solubility of cetuximab in each excipient, higher concentrations of histidine shifted the solubility boundary compared to sucrose, which required a much higher concentration. This disparity was attributed to molecularly specific interactions between the antibody and the excipient, rather than the excluded volume effect of PEG, which is a common mechanism in solubility changes. The findings underscore that formulation additives do not have universal actions; instead, they behave differently with different molecules. This work provides a mechanistic, physics-based framework for rational design and optimization of antibody formulations.",
  "summary": "More predictive, rational therapeutic antibody formulation designs can be grounded in interactions between antibodies and common excipients that biomanufacturers often consider generic. The post Choice of Excipients Dramatically Affects Antibody Solubility appeared first on GEN - Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology News .",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}