FTFT T> OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a process for producing recombinant human proteins and polypeptides, and a cell culture medium for use in said production. More particularly, the invention relates to cultivating cells in a cell culture medium containing an inhibitor of metal-dependent proteases or chymotrypsins, or a com¬ bination thereof.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Proteolytic enzymes are involved in all bodily functions, and most of them have natural regulatory counterparts, i.e. protease inhibitors. The International Commission on Enzymes has established a systematic classification and nomen¬ clature for proteolytic enzymes: 1) serine proteinases, 2) cystein proteinases, 3) aspartic proteinases, 4) metalloproteinases, all classified according to an essential group in their active center, and finally 5) a subclass of proteinases with catalytic mechanism yet unknown (Borivoj Keil, 'Specificity of Proteolysis", Springer-Verlag NY, 1992, 336 pages). The intention of this classification is not functional, neither is it related to the biological source of the enzyme at issue. The problem of classifica¬ tion of proteolytic enzymes, often abbreviated proteases, is described in the introduc¬ tion chapter: The Classification of enzymes in Enzyme Nomenclature (1200) is made according to the reactions they catalyze. This rule can hardly be applied for endopeptidases. The overall reaction catalyzed by this large group of enzymes is essentially always the same: cleavage of a peptide bond. A protein, however, cannot be considered as a substrate in the classical term: it contains hundreds of potential substrates, a set of qualitatively different peptide bond types with varying quantitative representation. Moreover, the availability of these bonds vary according to the overall conformation of the polypeptide chain. Therefore, the Enzyme Nomenclature makes an exception of endopeptidases from its rule: instead of classification according to the

catalyzed reaction, endopeptidases are classified by the type of their active site. In this way, enzymes with completely different specificity (like trypsin, chymotrypsin and prolyl peptidase) are found in the same group". As further illustrated in the same reference, the substrate and inhibitor specificity is far more complicated than a simple relation to five classes of enzymes. Nevertheless, this classification is widely used in the literature for example when various effects of proteolysis are to be described.

In serine proteases a serine moiety is essential for the activity, i.e. the cleavage function. The specificity of different serine proteases is based on the features of the cavities fitting the structures of corresponding substrates. A deep cleft accounts for the specificity of chymotrypsin for aromatic and other bulky hydrophobic side chains (see L. Stryer, Biochemistry, W.H. Freeman and Co., San Fransisco, CA, USA, 1981, pp. 157-166).

Many proteases need alkaline-earth metals or metals (in the following just denoted metals) for their activity. The metal-dependent proteases are either consi- dered to be metal-activated proteases (to which metal ions must be added for activity) or metallo proteases (which contain metals as an integral part of their structure). Concerning the first group, activation and stabilization of enzymes by metals frequently occur in several classes of proteases, such as serine and cysteine proteases. The importance of a metallo protease in cultured endothelial cells for the secretion of a certain metabolite has been shown by R. Ikegawa et al in Biochem. Biophys. Res. Comm. 171(2), p. 669-675 (1990). This was revealed by the suppress¬ ing effect on this secretion recognized by the addition of a metallo protease specific inhibitor. It was evident, however, that the enzyme was confined to the intracellu- lar space, since no effect of the inhibitor was obtained in a cell-free conditioned medium.

The effect of proteases are though far more often mentioned in the context of the potential risk of degradation of the protein at issue.

The effect of proteases in cultures of CHO cells has been studied by M Satoh et al, In Vitro Cell Dev Biol 26, 1101-1104 (1990). Various inhibitors were used to classify the proteolytic activity present. It was concluded from the lack of inhibition

by addition of phosphoramidon, that the proteases did not belong to the metallo proteases, at least not to those generally known to be inhibited by this agent. The effect of the other inhibitors added revealed that the extracellular proteolytic acti¬ vity arose from cysteine proteases. Another study describes the proteolytic profiles for BHK cells and hybri¬ doma cultures respectively (R B Kratje et al, J Biotechnol. 32, 107-125 (1994)). No activity of metallo proteases was found with any of these cell types. Activity corre¬ sponding to several serine proteases was however identified. It was also disclosed, that the presence of proteases was dependent not only on the type of cells used but also on the culture conditions and the age of the culture.

From the above mentioned papers, it is evident that a stable secretion of polypeptides in cell cultures may be impaired by a variety of proteolytic enzymes. For an efficient control of these degrading forces, versatile tools are needed. By such a control, the homogeneity of the target protein would be better retained. More- over, protein additives or substances produced endogenously by the cells, suscep¬ tible to proteolytic attack, would be protected. All together, a higher performance and consistency of the process as a whole would be achieved.

Tokunaga et al, Yeast, vol. 9 (1993), p. 379-387 relates to chymostatin- sensitive protease activity in the cell culture medium of Schizosaccharomyces pombe which digests α-amylase secreted into the culture medium. Tokunaga et al only disclose mouse α-amylase. Furthermore, Schizosaccharomyces pombe is a fission yeast and α-amylase is an enzyme, more particularly a carbohydrate-degrading enzyme.

EP-A2-319944 to Zymogenetics relates to co-expression in eukaryotic cells of a desired protein, e.g. t-PA, factor VTJ or factor LX, and a protein which processes or stabilizes the desired protein, e.g. a protease inhibitor. In this case, therefore, the protease inhibitor is produced in-situ. This necessitates the introduction of a first DNA sequence encoding the desired protein, and at least one additional DNA sequence encoding the stabilizing protein.

WO-A-9002175 to Novo-Nordisk discloses a method for producing poly- peptides by culturing eukaryotic cells in the presence of various protease inhibi-

tors. Specific examples include factor VTU as the polypeptide, but the protease inhi¬ bitors are all directed to serine and cysteine proteases.

In EP-A-306 968 to Chemo-Sero-Therapeutic Res. Inst. and Teijin use is made of aprotinin in a cell culture medium used for producing a deletion derivative of factor VHI. The expression level after addition of 100 to 10,000 KIU/ml was stated to be two to three times higher than the control without addition of aprotinin.

The problems encountered with metal-dependent proteases and chymotryp¬ sins in the production of various proteins has been much less surveyed than the role of cysteine and serine proteases, especially in literature covering mammalian cell cultures. More particularly, the specific problem with metal-dependent proteases and chymotrypsins has never been addressed previously in connection with factor VLTJ. Various solutions have been suggested to reduce the degradation by protea¬ ses of proteins and polypeptides, e.g. plasma derived as well as recombinant factor VTU molecules. These solutions have been directed to reduce the influence of serine and cysteine proteases in general. Serine and cysteine proteases are considered to be the most detrimental ones in blood plasma as well as in cell cultures. Thus, WO- A-9310143 to Johnson et al discloses a method for recovering a purified and stabi¬ lized protein by contacting a biological sample containing factor VLTJ. with at least one protease inhibiting or protease removing agent. The method is particularly directed to inhibit or remove thrombin, since factor VM is said to be very sensitive to minute quantities of this serine protease naturally present in blood plasma. The protease inhibitors include e.g. benzamidine, antithrombin DI, heparin and hirudin. The effect of the method is only shown for plasma derived factor VTU.

The aim of the present invention is to provide a solution to the problems encountered with proteases in general, and more particularly with metal-dqpendent proteases and chymotrypsins in cell culture media used for producing recombinant proteins and polypeptides, especially factor VIII.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Proteases generally tend to reduce the activity of proteins and polypeptides by degrading the molecule. The present invention relates to a process for reducing the detrimental influence of certain proteases on recombinant protein and polypep¬ tide molecules, by adding an inhibitor of metal-dependent proteases or chymo¬ trypsins to the cell culture medium. The presence of the specific protease inhibitor of the present invention allows for a prolonged harvest period and considerably higher yield with essentially retained protein and polypeptide activity. The inven- tion also relates to a cell culture medium for cultivating cells expressing and secre¬ ting a biologically active recombinant polypeptide containing an inhibitor of metal- dependent proteases or chymotrypsins, or a combination thereof. The invention further relates to use of recombinant factor VUI which has been produced in a cell culture medium according to the present process for the manufacture of a medica- ment for admmistration to a patient having the symptoms of hemophilia A. Also, the invention relates to a method for treatment of hemophilia A by administration of a therapeutically effective amount of recombinant factor VDI which has been produced in a cell culture medium according to the present process.

DFTATT Fn DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention is to reduce the influence of metal- dependent proteases and chymotrypsins when cultivating host cells for producing recombinant polypeptides. Another object of the present invention is to provide efficient cultivation conditions, thereby essentially retaining the activity of the recombinant poly¬ peptides.

A further object of the present invention is to increase the half-life of the proteinaceous supplements added to the cell culture medium and other proteins produced by the cells and secreted into the culture medium.

The objects above are met by the present invention, which relates to a

process for producing a biologically active recombinant human polypeptide in a cell culture medium allowing expression and secretion of said polypeptide, wherein an inhibitor of metal-dependent proteases or chymotrypsins, or a combination thereof, is added to the cell culture medium. The present invention further relates to a cell culture medium for cultivating cells expressing and secreting a biologically active recombinant human polypeptide, wherein the cell culture medium contains an inhibitor of metal-dependent proteases or chymotrypsins, or a combination thereof.

The present invention also relates to a method of cultivating cells expressing a recombinant human polypeptide in a cell culture medium, wherein the cell culture medium contains an inhibitor of metal-dependent proteases or chymotrypsins, or a combination thereof. The present invention further relates to a method of producing a recombinant human polypeptide, by cultivating cells expressing the polypeptide by cultivating cells expressing a recombinant human polypeptide in a cell culture medium containing an inhibitor of metal-dependent proteases or chymotrypsins, or a combination thereof, and recovering the polypeptide.

The inventors of the present invention have found that certain protease inhi¬ bitors have a surprisingly positive impact on the activity of polypeptides during cultivation of host cells expressing recombinant polypeptides. The presence of these inhibitors results in higher productivity. In this way, the yield of polypeptide with essentially retained activity and/or homogeneity can be increased considerably.

The inhibitors of metal-dependent proteases and chymotrypsins are suitably compounds containing a hydrophobic moiety. The chymotrypsins differ from other serine protease by the presence of a deep cleft in the active site. This deep cleft accounts for the substrate specificity encountered with chymotrypsins. Therefore, suitably the hydrophobic moiety is an aromatic, heterocyclic aromatic or another bulky side group. Heterocyclic aromatic side groups relate to aromatic compounds in which an element other than carbon is present in the aromatic ring. Examples are pyridine, pyrrole, furan and thiopene. Furthermore, in the present invention, the term hydrophobic bulky side group relates to various other non-polar ring struc-

hires such as monocycloalkanes, e.g. cyclohexane, dicycloalkanes and polycyclo- alkanes, or substituted derivatives of any of these structures.

The metal-dependent proteases are either considered to be metal-activated proteases (to which metal ions must be added for activity) or metallo proteases (which contain metals as an integral part of their structure). Concerning the first group, activation and stabilization of enzymes by metals frequently occur in seve¬ ral classes of proteases, such as serine and cystein proteases. For example, in the field of blood functions, especially coagulation, fibrinolysis, and complement acti¬ vation, a group of vitamin K-dependent calcium-binding domains are common (see e.g. Laszlό Patthy in Methods in Enzymology, 222, p. 10-21 (1993)). Concerning the latter metallo proteases, a review of mammalian metalloendopeptidases, being an important subgroup of this protease class, can be found in Bond et al, Int. J. Bio¬ chem. , 17, no. 5, p. 565-574 (1985). These authors conclude, that Zn ²⁺ appears to be the essential metal for all of the characterized mammalian metallo proteases. In a more recent review (D. A. Auld, Methods in Enzymology, 248, p. 229-242 (1995)) this ion is still considered to be the active ion of an overwhelming majority of the metallo proteases. This does not exclude a structural and functional role also of other metals, like Cu ²⁺ , Fe ² +, Fe ³⁺ , Mn ²⁺ , Co ²⁺ and Cd ²⁺ (Auld, see above). Thus, an enzyme dependent on Zn ²⁺ as well as Ca ²⁺ , is described in Butler et al, Biochem. J., 241, p. 229-235 (1987).

In the present invention, the inhibitors of metal-dependent proteases can be compounds structurally related to the natural substrate of the protease and contai¬ ning an electronegative moiety. Such compounds are suitably peptides, peptide analogues or other compounds mimicking a part of the natural substrate, prefer- ably selected from the group consisting of phosphoramidates, hydroxamates and carboxylates. The mechanism for the inhibition of metallo proteases by peptides or peptide analogues functionalized with e.g. phosphoramidates, hydroxamates or carbonyl groups is not fully clear. However, in the literature their effect is conside¬ red to be due to a chelating function (see especially p. 221-222 of Birkedal-Hansen et al, Critical Review in Oral Biology and Medicine, 4(2), p. 197-250 (1993)).

Structurally related compounds can be natural, as in the case of phosphor- amidon, or synthetic. The design of such synthetic inhibitors is reviewed in Bond et al (see above). One example, described by N. Nishino and J. C. Powers in Bioche¬ mistry, 17 (14), p. 2846-2850 (1978), is the synthesis of specific inhibitors for the zinc metaUoendopeptidase thermolysin. In this case, the specificity of the inhibitor peptide analogue was achieved by including a hydrophobic amino acid, intended for interaction with a corresponding pocket in the active site of the enzyme, as well as a hydroxamic acid residue, for interaction with the zinc atom. An illustration of this phenomenon is given in B. Roques et al in Methods in Enzymology, 248, p. 263- 283, especially p. 268-269 and 272 (1995)). Further examples of hydroxamates are disclosed in WO 90/05719.

The phosphoramidates suitable for use in the present invention can be natural or synthetic. Phosphoramidon is a natural phosphoramidate preferably used in the present invention. Phosphoramidon inhibits the action of thermolysin, a metaUoendopeptidase. The structure of this phosphoramidate is N-(α-L-rhamno- pyranosyloxyhy droxyphosphinyl) -L-leucy 1-L-tryptophan) abbreviated Rha-P-Leu-Trp .

The residue P-Leucine-Tryptophan present in phosphoramidon, is a common feature for several phosphoramidates. Data from various sources indicate that this residue constitutes the active group e.g. in phosphoramidon. Therefore, in the present invention use is suitably made of compounds containing the residue P- Leucine-Tryptophan.

The concentration of the inhibitor of metal-dependent proteases can be in the range of from about 5 nM up to about 5 mM, suitably in the range of from 0.5 μM up to 2 mM, and preferably in the range of from 1 LIM up to 1 mM. Chymotrypsins are serine proteases. In the present invention, chymotrypsins relate to chymotrypsins and chymotrypsin-like proteases. Chymotrypsin-like pro¬ teases here relate to proteases with a function and/or chemical structure closely resembling that of chymotrypsins. In the foUowing, chymotrypsin is used to desig¬ nate chymotrypsins as weU as chymotrypsin-like proteases. A connection between chymotrypsins and a metaUo protease is revealed in Borivoj Keil, 'Specificity of Proteolysis" (see above), Table 11 , p. 36-39. In a classification according to

preferred sequences of amino acids in the cleavage site, chymotrypsin is grouped together with other proteases cleaving at LYL (Leucine, Tyrosine, Leucine). Among the other enzymes of this group is a collagenase, an enzyme usuaUy referred to as a metaUo protease. The inhibitor of chymotrypsins can be natural or synthetic, and structuraUy related to the natural substrate of the protease. The inhibitor of chymotrypsins suitably contains a hydrophobic moiety. The functionality of a hydrophobic moiety is a property shared with the specific inhibitors for the zinc metaUoendo-peptidase thermolysin mentioned in a previous paragraph. The inhibitor of chymotrypsins is suitably selected from the natural compounds chymostatin A, chymostatin B or chymostatin C, or any mixture thereof. Commonly, chymostatin is a mixture containing aU three chymostatins, chymostatin A constituting the major portion. AU chymostatins contain a residue of the unusual amino acid α-(2-iminohexa- hydro-4(S)-pyrimidyl)-S-glycine. The structure of these natural compounds are N- [(S)-l -αιrooxy-2-phenylethyl]-carbamoyl-α-N-[2-immohexa-hydro-4 (S)-pyrimidyl]- S-glycyl-L-leucyl-phenylalaninal (Chymostatin A), N-[(S)-l-carboxy-2-phenyl- ethyl]-carbamoyl-α-N-[2-immohexahydro-4(S)-pyrimidyl]-S-gly cyl-L-valyl-phenyl- alaninal (Chymostatin B), and N-[(S)-l-carboxy-2-phenyl-ethyl]-carbamoyl-α-N-[2- immohexahydro-4(S)-pyrimidyl]-S-glycyl-L-isoleucyl-phenylala ninal (Chymostatin C).

The concentration of the compound inhibiting chymotrypsins can be in the range of from about 0.001 μg/L up to about 100 mg/L, suitably in the range of from 0.01 μg/L up to 25 mg/L, and preferably in the range of from 0.1 μg/L up to 100 μg/L. The above given figures are equal to a concentration of the compound inhibiting chymotrypsins in the range of from about 1.67 pM up to about 167 μM, suitably in the range of from 16.7 pM up to 41.7 μM, and preferably in the range of from 167 pM up to 167 nM.

The host ceUs for use in the present invention can be procaryotic or eucaryo- tic, suitably eucaryotic ceUs. The host ceUs for use in the present invention can be mammalian, bacterial, fungal or insect ceUs. The ceUs are suitably mammahan ceUs or insect ceUs, preferably mammalian cells. The insect ceUs can be SF-9 or SF-21

ceUs. The mammalian ceUs can be Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO) ceUs, Baby Ham¬ ster Kidney (BHK) ceUs, COS ceUs or hybridoma ceUs, preferably CHO ceUs. The ceU culture medium may contain serum. Suitably, however, the ceU culture medium is a low-serum medium, and preferably a serum-free medium. The ceU culture medium may further contain one or more added proteins, such as human serum albumin (HSA), bovine serum albumin (BSA), insulin, growth factors, IGF-1, IGF-2, growth hormone, neurotrophines, leptin, transfeπin and the von WiUebrand factor (vWf). If proteins are added to the ceU culture medium in the present invention, such proteins are preferably produced by recombinant DNA techniques. Preferably, the ceU culture medium is a protein-free medium, i.e. free of added proteinaceous substances. This makes possible production of a polypeptide with a very high specific activity. In this way, the medium wiU be weU defined and the risk of introducing contaminants such as mycoplasma, bacteriophages, virus and toxins wiU be almost extinguished. AdditionaUy, the down-stream purification of the polypeptide molecules produced wiU be facUitated.

The ceU culture medium may be based on a complete medium, or a nutrient basal medium supplemented by a number of components. Examples of suitable complete media are various ASF media marketed by Ajinomoto of Japan, Dulbe- cco's Modified Eagle Medium (DMEM), Eagle's Minimum Essential Medium, Ham's Medium F-12 and RPMI-1640 Medium. Various combinations of DMEM and Ham's F-12, both marketed by GIBCO of Renfrewshire in Scotland, are also suitable complete medium for use in the present invention. A supplemented basal medium may be prepared by adding components to the nutrient basal medium in accordance to standard procedures for preparing ceU culture media. Supplements added to the ceU culture medium are not critical to the present invention and may be combinations of those known in the art which are suitable for the ceUs at issue. Examples of supplements that can be used include insulin, transferrin, ascorbic acid, ethanolamine, glutamine and sodium selenite.

The protease inhibitor can be added to the ceU culture medium once, several times or continuously during the cultivation period. The inhibitors of the present invention are suitably added to the cell culture medium at change of medium. The

protease inhibitor can be a mixture of an inhibitor of metal-dependent proteases and an inhibitor of chymotrypsins. The protease inhibitor can also be a combination of an inhibitor of metal-dependent proteases and an inhibitor of chymotrypsins, added in arbitrary sequence. In the present invention, polypeptides refer to proteins and oligopeptides with at least 20 amino acids in the chain. The number of amino acids of the polypeptide produced according to the present invention, suitably hes in the range of from 30 up to 4,500 amino acids, and preferably in the range of from 40 up to 3,000 amino acids. Polypeptides which can be produced according to the present invention include polypeptides exhibiting coagulant, anticoagulant and fibrinolytic activities, membrane bound and nuclear receptors and metabohsm regulating humural factors (hormones). Specific examples of polypeptides that can be produced according to the present process are factor VUJ, factor V, factor VH, factor LX, tPA, prostaglandin receptors, glucocorticoid receptors, peroxisome proliferator activated receptors (PPARs), factors promoting growth and ceU survival, interleukin, interferon and IGF binding proteins (IGFBP). The polypeptides can be fuU-length, i.e. the sequence of amino acids is identical to the corresponding sequence found in mammals in general, and in human beings in particular. The polypeptides can also be deletion derivatives of the fuU- length polypeptides, where one or more amino acid is missing. In the present inven- tion, the polypeptide is preferably factor VLTJ.

In the present invention, the factor VUJ produced by recombinant DNA technique can be fuU-length factor VUJ or preferably a deletion derivative of fuU- length factor VUJ having coagulant activity. By deletion derivative is here meant coagulation factor VUJ in which the whole or part of the B-domain is missing, while the coagulant activity is retained. The remaining domains are suitably linked by an amino acid linker. Examples of various linker constructions are given in P. Lind et al, Eur. J. Biochem., vol. 232 (1995), pp. 19-27. The structure and biochemistry of recombinant factor VUJ products in general have been described by Kaufman in Trends in Biotechnology, 9, p.353-359 (1991) and Hematology, 63, p.155-65 (1991). FuU-length factor VTU present in human plasma has a molecular mass of

about 300 kDa. Factor VUJ concentrates derived from such plasma contain several fragmented fuUy active factor VTU forms as described by Andersson et al, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 83, p. 2979-83 (May 1986). The smallest active form has a molecular mass of about 170 kDa and consists of two chains of about 90 kDa and about 80 kDa held together by metal ion(s). Reference is here made to EP-A-0 197 901 (Pharmacia AB). The biologically active factor VLTJ produced according to the present invention, therefore, suitably has a molecular mass in the range of from about 170 kDa up to about 300 kDa.

Pharmacia AB of Stockholm, Sweden, has developed a recombinant factor VD! product which corresponds to the about 170 kDa plasma factor VUJ form in therapeutic factor VUJ concentrates. The truncated recombinant factor VUJ mole¬ cule is termed r-VTU SQ and is produced by Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO) ceUs in a ceU culture process in serum-free medium. The structure and biochemistry of r-VTU SQ have been described in WO-A-9109122 (Pharmacia AB). In the present invention, more preferably the deletion derivative is recombinant factor VUJ SQ (r-VϋJ SQ).

The recombinant factor VTU produced in a ceU culture medium according to the present process can be used for the manufacture of a medicament for admini¬ stration to a patient having the symptoms of hemophiUa A. Also, the invention relates to a method for treatment of hemophiUa A by administration of a therapeu- ticaUy effective amount of recombinant factor VUJ which has been produced in a ceU culture medium according to the present process.

The pH of the ceU culture medium suitably Ues in the range of from about 6 up to about 8. The osmolaUty of the ceU culture medium suitably Ues in the range of from about 280 up to about 400 milUosmoles.

The ceU culture technique can be suspension culture, monolayer culture such as roUer bottle, microcarriers or hoUow fiber, preferably suspension culture technique.

The mode of operation of the present process can be continuous or batch-wise. The foUowing Examples are provided for purposes of Ulustration only and

are not to be construed as in any way limiting the scope of the present invention, which is defined by the appended claims.

The percentages and parts are per weight, unless otherwise stated.

EXPERIMENTAL

Preparation of recombinant factor VUJ

The production of recombinant factor VTU SQ (r-VUJ SQ) was essentiaUy performed as described in patent WO-A-9109122 to Pharmacia & Upjohn, Exam- pies 1 to 3. A DHFR deficient CHO ceU-line (DG44) was electroporated with an expression vector containing the r-VUJ SQ gene and an expression vector contain¬ ing the dihydrofolate-reductase gene. FoUowing selection on selective media, sur¬ viving colonies were amplified through growth in stepwise increasing amounts of methotrexate. Supernatant from the resulting colonies were individuaUy screened for factor VUJ activity. A production clone was chosen and this was subsequently adapted to serum-free suspension growth in a defined medium.

Material

The chymostatin used in the experiments, contained chymostatin A, chymo- statin B and chymostatin C, chymostatin A constituting the major portion. The protease inhibitors were aU of analytical grade and obtained from Sigma in St. Louis, USA.

Analytical Methods The activity of coagulation factor VUJ was assessed by a chroraogenic substrate assay (Coatest Factor VUJ, Chromogenix AB, Mδlndal, Sweden). Activated factor X (Xa) is generated via the intrinsic pathway where factor VUJ acts as co-factor. Factor Xa is then determined by the use of a synthetic chromo- genic substrate, S-2222 in the presence of a thrombin inhibitor 1-2581 to prevent hydrolysis of the substrate by thrombin. The reaction is stopped with acid, and the VUJ:C, which is proportional to the release of pNA (para-mtroaniline), is determi-

ned photometricaUy at 450 nm against a reagent blank. The unit of factor VUJ:C is expressed in international units (IU) as defined by the current International Con¬ centrate Standard (IS) estabUshed by WHO.

The ceU viability was determined on several occasions as disclosed in Tables I-IV, in order to verify that the added inhibitors had no negative effect on the cell survival throughout the entire production period. The analyses were made after staining the ceUs with Erythrosin B in a Burker chamber or by flow cytometry. The portion of viable ceUs was calculated in relation to the total number of cells (%).

Example 1

This example is intended to illustrate the efficiency of the present invention as compared to various other protease inhibitors.

CHO ceUs were cultivated under growth conditions in spinner flasks in a complete culture medium such as ASF or a mixture of DMEM and Ham's Medium F-12. InitiaUy, the temperature was 37°C and the ceU content about 0.7 x IO ⁶ ceUs/ml of ceU culture medium. Day 0 was defined as the day of commenced production. The temperature was lowered to 34°C. On day 3, the culture medium was replaced by a fresh medium including 0.5 mM of butyric acid, and the ceU content was adjusted to about 3 x 10 cells/ml of ceU culture medium. On day 4, a suspension of the ceUs in production was alequoted to polypropylene tubes for continuous cultivation and the protease inhibitors were added. On day 5 the medium was replaced and the protease inhibitors added. Replacement of medium was performed on day 6, day 7, day 10 (accumulated value after 72 hours). On day 11, the experiments were stopped. Western Blot analysis revealed that the quaUty of the factor produced was essentiaUy unaffected. The viabiUty was generaUy high. The lowest value, 90% obtained for the control and aprotinin, on production day 11. The results are given in the foUowing Tables.

TABLE I Factor VUJ:C in ceU culture medium containing protease inhibitors according to the invention

0

TABLE U Factor VUJ:C in ceU culture medium containing protease inhibitors not according to the invention

CO

TABLE UJ

CeU viabiUty in ceU culture medium containing protease inhibitors according to the invention

TABLE TV

CeU viabiUty in ceU culture medium containing protease inhibitors not according to the invention

As is evident from Table I, the presence of protease inhibitors according to the present invention dramaticaUy increases the possibUity of retaining factor VUJ:C. As is evident from Table U, the presence of various other protease inhibi¬ tors have a very smaU or even negative effect on factor VUJ:C. From Table UJ it is evident that the increased production of factor VUJ iUustrated in Table I, cannot be attributed to an increased or decreased ceU viabiUty. Furthermore, from Table TV it is evident that the lack of effect on production of factor VUJ iUustrated in Table U, is not an effect counteracting a decreased cell viabiUty.