Conclusions
Detergent aggregates composed of conjugated Tween-20, Brij-O20 or Triton X-100 nonionic micelles and the amphiphilic [(batho)3:Fe2+] red complex appear to represent an efficient and economical platform for IgG purification. The possibility of integrating this platform into industrial, continuous production flows is supported by the findings that: (i)filtration can replace centrifugation and lead to highly pure, recovered Abs (>95%) with improved overall recovery yields (79-90%); (ii) process efficiency is not significantly reduced at higher IgG concentrations (e.g. 3-5 mg/mL); and (iii)chelator recycling is almost quantitative (95%). (iv) The process is rapid: on average, only 15-20 minutes are needed to capture the target IgG and recover it in pure form via the filtration protocol. This should translate into significant time saving and hence, higher manufacturing productivity. However, the true practical and economic value of the IgG purification platform for downstream processing of therapeutic grade mAbs will now require additional process upscaling.