Identification of an IgG CDR sequence contributing to co‐purification of the host cell protease cathepsin D

Recombinant therapeutic monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) must be purified from host cell proteins (HCPs), DNA, and other impurities present in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell culture media. HCPs can potentially result in adverse clinical responses in patients and, in specific cases, have caused degradation of the final mAb product. As reported previously, residual traces of cathepsin D caused particle formation in the final product of mAb‐1. The current work was focused on identification of a primary sequence in mAb‐1 responsible for the binding and consequent co‐purification of trace levels of CHO cathepsin D. Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) was used to detect binding between immobilized CHO cathepsin D and a panel of mAbs. Out of 13 mAbs tested, only mAb‐1 and mAb‐6 bound to cathepsin D. An LYY motif in the HC CDR2 was common, yet unique, to only these two mAbs. Mutation of LYY to AAA eliminated binding of mAb‐1 to cathepsin D providing confirmation that this sequence motif was involved in the binding to CHO cathepsin D. Interestingly, the binding between mAb‐1 and cathepsin D was weaker than that of mAb‐6, which may be related to the fact that two aspartic acid residues near the LYY motif in mAb‐1 are replaced with neutral serine residues in mAb‐6. © 2016 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 33:140–145, 2017     

Characterization of the co‐elution of host cell proteins with monoclonal antibodies during protein A purification

Protein A chromatography is commonly used as the initial step for purifying monoclonal antibody biotherapeutics expressed in mammalian tissue culture cells. The purpose of this step, as well as later chromatography steps, is, in part, to remove host cell proteins (HCPs) and other related impurities. Understanding the retention mechanism for the subset of HCPs retained during this step is of great interest to monoclonal antibody (mAb) process developers because it allows formation of a guided HCP clearance strategy. However, only limited information is available about the specific HCPs that co‐purify with mAbs at this step. In this study, a comprehensive comparison of HCP subpopulations that associated with 15 different mAbs during protein A chromatography was conducted by a 2D‐LC‐HDMS^E approach. We found that a majority of CHO HCPs binding to and eluting with the mAbs were common among the mAbs studied, with only a small percentage (～10% on average) of a mAb's total HCP content in the protein A (PrA) eluate specific for a particular antibody. The abundance of these HCPs in cell culture fluids and their ability to interact with mAbs were the two main factors determining their prevalence in protein A eluates. Potential binding segments for HCPs to associate with mAbs were also studied through their co‐purification with individual Fc and (Fab′)₂ antibody fragments. © 2016 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 32:708–717, 2016     

Targeted capture of Chinese hamster ovary host cell proteins: Peptide ligand binding by proteomic analysis

The clearance of host cell proteins (HCPs) is of crucial importance in biomanufacturing, given their diversity in composition, structure, abundance, and occasional structural homology with the product. The current approach to HCP clearance in the manufacturing of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) relies on product capture with Protein A followed by removal of residual HCPs in flow-through mode using ion exchange or mixed-mode chromatography. Recent studies have highlighted the presence of “problematic HCP” species, which are either difficult to remove (Group I), can degrade the mAb product (Group II), or trigger immunogenic reactions (Group III). To improve the clearance of these species, we developed a family of synthetic peptides that target HCPs and exhibit low binding to IgG product. In this study, these peptides were conjugated onto chromatographic resins and evaluated in terms of HCP clearance and mAb yield, using an industrial mAb-producing CHO harvest as model supernatant. To gather detailed knowledge on the binding of individual HCPs, the unbound fractions were subjected to shotgun proteomic analysis by mass spectrometry. It was found that these peptide ligands exhibit superior HCP binding capability compared to those of the benchmark commercial resins commonly used in mAb purification. In addition, some peptide-based resins resulted in much lower losses of product yield compared to these commercial supports. The proteomic analysis showed effective capture of many “problematic HCPs” by the peptide ligands, especially some that are weakly bound by commercial media. Collectively, these results indicate that these peptides show great promise toward the development of next-generation adsorbents for safer and cost-effective manufacturing of biologics.     

A novel approach to monitor clearance of host cell proteins associated with monoclonal antibodies

Co‐purification of a subset of host cell proteins (HCPs) with monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) during the capture of mAbs on Protein A affinity chromatography is primarily caused by interactions of HCPs with the mAbs. To date, there is limited information about the identity of those HCPs due to the difficulty in detecting low abundance HCPs in the presence of a large amount of the mAb. Here, an approach is presented that allows identification of HCPs that specifically associate with the mAb, while avoiding interference from the mAb itself. This approach involves immobilization of purified mAb onto chromatography resin via cross‐linking, followed by incubation with HCPs obtained from supernatant of non‐mAb producer cells that are representative of the expression systems used in mAb manufacturing. The HCPs that bind to the mAb are recovered and identified using mass spectrometry. This approach has not only allowed a comprehensive comparison of HCP subpopulations that associate with different mAbs, but also enabled monitoring of the effects of a variety of wash modifiers on the dissociation of individual HCP–mAb interactions. The dissociation of HCPs that associated with the mAb was monitored by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay and mass spectrometry. This approach can be utilized as a screening tool to assist the development of effective and targeted wash steps in Protein A chromatography that ensures not only reduction of HCP levels copurified with the mAb but also removal of specific HCPs that may have a potential impact on mAb structural stability and patient safety. © 2014 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 30:1114–1124, 2014     

Characterization and implications of host-cell protein aggregates in biopharmaceutical processing

In the production of biopharmaceuticals such as monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) and vaccines, the residual amounts of host-cell proteins (HCPs) are among the critical quality attributes. In addition to overall HCP levels, individual HCPs may elude purification, potentially causing issues in product stability or patient safety. Such HCP persistence has been attributed mainly to biophysical interactions between individual HCPs and the product, resin media, or residual chromatin particles. Based on measurements on process streams from seven mAb processes, we have found that HCPs in aggregates, not necessarily chromatin-derived, may play a significant role in the persistence of many HCPs. Such aggregates may also hinder accurate detection of HCPs using existing proteomics methods. The findings also highlight that certain HCPs may be difficult to remove because of their functional complementarity to the product; specifically, chaperones and other proteins involved in the unfolded protein response (UPR) are disproportionately present in the aggregates. The methods and findings described here expand our understanding of the origins and potential behavior of HCPs in cell-based biopharmaceutical processes and may be instrumental in improving existing techniques for HCP detection and clearance.     

Polymer‐mediated flocculation of transient CHO cultures as a simple,high throughput method to facilitate antibody discovery

Most biopharmaceutical drugs, especially monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), bispecific antibodies (BsAbs) and Fc‐fusion proteins, are expressed using Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO) cell lines. CHO cells typically yield high product titers and high product quality. Unfortunately, CHO cell lines also generate high molecular weight (HMW) aggregates of the desired product during cell culture along with CHO host cell protein (HCP) and CHO DNA. These immunogenic species, co‐purified during Protein A purification, must be removed in a multi‐step purification process. Our colleagues have reported the use of a novel polymer‐mediated flocculation step to simultaneously reduce HMW, HCP and DNA from stable CHO cell cultures prior to Protein A purification. The objective of this study was to evaluate this novel “smart polymer” (SmP) in a high throughput antibody discovery workflow using transiently transfected CHO cultures. SmP treatment of 19 different molecules from four distinct molecular categories (human mAbs, murine mAbs, BsAbs and Fabs) with 0.1% SmP and 25 mM stimulus resulted in minimal loss of monomeric protein. Treatment with SmP also demonstrated a variable, concentration‐dependent removal of HMW aggregates after Protein A purification. SmP treatment also effectively reduced HCP levels at each step of mAb purification with final HCP levels being several fold lower than the untreated control. Interestingly, SmP treatment was able to significantly reduce high concentrations of artificially spiked levels of endotoxin in the cultures. In summary, adding a simple flocculation step to our existing transient CHO process reduced the downstream purification burden to remove impurities and improved final product quality. © 2017 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 33:1393–1400, 2017     

Caprylic acid‐induced impurity precipitation from protein A capture column elution pool to enable a two‐chromatography‐step process for monoclonal antibody purification

This article presents the use of caprylic acid (CA) to precipitate impurities from the protein A capture column elution pool for the purification of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) with the objective of developing a two chromatography step antibody purification process. A CA‐induced impurity precipitation in the protein A column elution pool was evaluated as an alternative method to polishing chromatography techniques for use in the purification of mAbs. Parameters including pH, CA concentrations, mixing time, mAb concentrations, buffer systems, and incubation temperatures were evaluated on their impacts on the impurity removal, high‐molecular weight (HMW) formation and precipitation step yield. Both pH and CA concentration, but not mAb concentrations and buffer systems, are key parameters that can affect host–cell proteins (HCPs) clearance, HMW species, and yield. CA precipitation removes HCPs and some HMW species to the acceptable levels under the optimal conditions. The CA precipitation process is robust at 15–25°C. For all five mAbs tested in this study, the optimal CA concentration range is 0.5–1.0%, while the pH range is from 5.0 to 6.0. A purification process using two chromatography steps (protein A capture column and ion exchange polishing column) in combination with CA‐based impurity precipitation step can be used as a robust downstream process for mAb molecules with a broad range of isoelectric points. Residual CA can be effectively removed by the subsequent polishing cation exchange chromatography. © 2015 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 31:1515–1525, 2015     

Chromatographic clarification overcomes chromatin-mediated hitch-hiking interactions on Protein A capture column

Protein A capture chromatography is a critical unit operation in the clearance of host cell protein (HCP) impurities in monoclonal antibody (mAb) purification processes. Though one of the most effective purification steps, variable levels of protein impurities are often observed in the eluate. Coelution of HCP impurities is suggested to be strongly affected by the presence of chromatin complexes (Gagnon et al., 2014; Koehler et al., 2019). We investigated the effect of removal of DNA complex and HCP reduction pre-Protein A on the HCP clearance performance of the Protein A capture step itself. We found that only reduction of DNA in the Protein A load consistently lowered HCP in the Protein A eluate. Reduction of HCP in the Protein A load stream did not produce a significant increase in the chromatography HCP clearance performance. These results are consistent across three different biosimilar therapeutic mAbs expressed by the same Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell line (i.e., CHO^BC® of Polpharma Biologics). This result demonstrates that optimization of the mAb purification process utilizing Protein A as the primary capture step depends primarily on being able to effectively clear DNA and associated complexes early in the process, rather than trying to incorporate HCP reduction at the harvest cell culture fluid.     

Improving the analytical toolbox to investigate copurifying host cell proteins presence: N-(4)-(β-acetylglucosaminyl)- l-asparaginase case study

Levels of host cell proteins (HCPs) in purification intermediates and drug substances (DS) of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) must be carefully monitored for the production of safe and efficacious biotherapeutics. During the development of mAb1, an immunoglobulin G1 product, unexpected results generated with HCP Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) kit triggered an investigation which led to the identification of a copurifying HCP called N-(4)-(β-acetylglucosaminyl)-l -asparaginase (AGA, EC3.5.1.26) by liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). The risk assessment performed indicated a low immunogenicity risk for the copurifying HCP and an ad hoc stability study demonstrated no mAb glycan cleavage and thus no impact on product quality. Fractionation studies performed on polishing steps revealed that AGA was coeluted with the mAb. Very interestingly, the native digestion protocol implemented to go deeper in the MS–HCP profiling was found to be incompatible with correct AGA detection in last purification intermediate and DS, further suggesting a hitchhiking behavior of AGA. In silico surface characterization of AGA also supports this hypothesis. Finally, the combined support of HCP ELISA results and MS allowed process optimization and removal of this copurifying HCP.     

Identification and classification of host cell proteins during biopharmaceutical process development

As significant improvements in volumetric antibody productivity have been achieved by advances in upstream processing over the last decade, and harvest material has become progressively more difficult to recover with these intensified upstream operations, the segregation of upstream and downstream processing has remained largely unchanged. By integrating upstream and downstream process development, product purification issues are given consideration during the optimization of upstream operating conditions, which mitigates the need for extensive and expensive clearance strategies downstream. To investigate the impact of cell culture duration on critical quality attributes, CHO-expressed IgG1 was cultivated in two 2 L bioreactors with samples taken on days 8, 10, 13, 15, and 17. The material was centrifuged, filtered and protein A purified on a 1 ml HiTrap column. Host cell protein (HCP) identification by mass spectrometry (MS) was applied to this system to provide insights into cellular behavior and HCP carryover during protein A purification. It was shown that as cultivation progressed from day 8 to 17 and antibody titer increased, product quality declined due to an increase in post-protein A HCPs (from 72 to 475 peptides detected by MS) and a decrease in product monomer percentage (from 98% to 95.5%). Additionally, the MS data revealed an increase in the abundance of several classes of post-protein A HCPs (e.g., stress response proteins and indicators of cell age), particularly on days 15 and 17 of culture, which were associated with significant increases in total overall HCP levels. This provides new insight into the specific types of HCPs that are retained during mAb purification and may be used to aid process development strategies.     

Mild hypothermic culture conditions affect residual host cell protein composition post-Protein A chromatography

Host cell proteins (HCPs) are endogenous impurities, and their proteolytic and binding properties can compromise the integrity, and, hence, the stability and efficacy of recombinant therapeutic proteins such as monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). Nonetheless, purification of mAbs currently presents a challenge because they often co-elute with certain HCP species during the capture step of protein A affinity chromatography. A Quality-by-Design (QbD) strategy to overcome this challenge involves identifying residual HCPs and tracing their source to the harvested cell culture fluid (HCCF) and the corresponding cell culture operating parameters. Then, problematic HCPs in HCCF may be reduced by cell engineering or culture process optimization. Here, we present experimental results linking cell culture temperature and post-protein A residual HCP profile. We had previously reported that Chinese hamster ovary cell cultures conducted at standard physiological temperature and with a shift to mild hypothermia on day 5 produced HCCF of comparable product titer and HCP concentration, but with considerably different HCP composition. In this study, we show that differences in HCP variety at harvest cascaded to downstream purification where different residual HCPs were present in the two sets of samples post-protein A purification. To detect low-abundant residual HCPs, we designed a looping liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry method with continuous expansion of a preferred, exclude, and targeted peptide list. Mild hypothermic cultures produced 20% more residual HCP species, especially cell membrane proteins, distinct from the control. Critically, we identified that half of the potentially immunogenic residual HCP species were different between the two sets of samples.     

Select host cell proteins coelute with monoclonal antibodies in protein A chromatography

The most significant factor contributing to the presence of host cell protein (HCP) impurities in Protein A chromatography eluates is their association with the product monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) has been reported previously, and it has been suggested that more efficacious column washes may be developed by targeting the disruption of the mAbs-HCP interaction. However, characterization of this interaction is not straight forward as it is likely to involve multiple proteins and/or types of interaction. This work is an attempt to begin to understand the contribution of HCP subpopulations and/or mAb interaction propensity to the variability in HCP levels in the Protein A eluate. We performed a flowthrough (FT) recycling study with product respiking using two antibody molecules of apparently different HCP interaction propensities. In each case, the ELISA assay showed depletion of select subpopulations of HCP in Protein A eluates in subsequent column runs, while the feedstock HCP in the FTs remained unchanged from its native harvested cell culture fluid (HCCF) levels. In a separate study, the final FT from each molecule's recycling study was cross-spiked with various mAbs. In this case, Protein A eluate levels remained low for all but two molecules which were known as having high apparent HCP interaction propensity. The results of these studies suggest that mAbs may preferentially bind to select subsets of HCPs, and the degree of interaction and/or identity of the associated HCPs may vary depending on the mAb.     

Quantitative definition and monitoring of the host cell protein proteome using iTRAQ – a study of an industrial mAb producing CHO‐S cell line

There are few studies defining CHO host cell proteins (HCPs) and the flux of these throughout a downstream purification process. Here we have applied quantitative iTRAQ proteomics to follow the HCP profile of an antibody (mAb) producing CHO‐S cell line throughout a standard downstream purification procedure consisting of a Protein A, cation and anion exchange process. We used both 6 sample iTRAQ experiment to analyze technical replicates of three samples, which were culture harvest (HCCF), Protein A flow through and Protein A eluate and an 8 sample format to analyze technical replicates of four sample types; HCCF compared to Protein A eluate and subsequent cation and anion exchange purification. In the 6 sample iTRAQ experiment, 8781 spectra were confidently matched to peptides from 819 proteins (including the mAb chains). Across both the 6 and 8 sample experiments 936 proteins were identified. In the 8 sample comparison, 4187 spectra were confidently matched to peptides from 219 proteins. We then used the iTRAQ data to enable estimation of the relative change of individual proteins across the purification steps. These data provide the basis for application of iTRAQ for process development based upon knowledge of critical HCPs.     

Comprehensive tracking of host cell proteins during monoclonal antibody purifications using mass spectrometry

An advanced two-dimensional liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry platform was used to quantify individual host cell proteins (HCPs) present at various purification steps for several therapeutic monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) produced in Chinese hamster ovary cells. The methodology produced reproducible identifications and quantifications among replicate analyses consistent with a previously documented individual limit of quantification of ~13 ppm. We were able to track individual HCPs from cell culture fluid to protein A eluate pool to subsequent viral inactivation pool and, in some cases, further downstream. Approximately 500 HCPs were confidently identified in cell culture fluid and this number declined progressively through the purification scheme until no HCPs could be confidently identified in polishing step cation-exchange eluate pools. The protein A eluate pool of nine different mAbs contained widely differing numbers, and total levels, of HCPs, yet the bulk of the total HCP content in each case consisted of a small subset of normally intracellular HCPs highly abundant in cell culture fluid. These observations hint that minimizing cell lysis during cell culture/harvest may be useful in minimizing downstream HCP content. Clusterin and actin are abundant in the protein A eluate pools of most mAbs studied. HCP profiling by this methodology can provide useful information to process developers and lead to the refinement of existing purification platforms.     

Comprehensive tracking of host cell proteins during monoclonal antibody purifications using mass spectrometry

An advanced two-dimensional liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry platform was used to quantify individual host cell proteins (HCPs) present at various purification steps for several therapeutic monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) produced in Chinese hamster ovary cells. The methodology produced reproducible identifications and quantifications among replicate analyses consistent with a previously documented individual limit of quantification of ~13 ppm. We were able to track individual HCPs from cell culture fluid to protein A eluate pool to subsequent viral inactivation pool and, in some cases, further downstream. Approximately 500 HCPs were confidently identified in cell culture fluid and this number declined progressively through the purification scheme until no HCPs could be confidently identified in polishing step cation-exchange eluate pools. The protein A eluate pool of nine different mAbs contained widely differing numbers, and total levels, of HCPs, yet the bulk of the total HCP content in each case consisted of a small subset of normally intracellular HCPs highly abundant in cell culture fluid. These observations hint that minimizing cell lysis during cell culture/harvest may be useful in minimizing downstream HCP content. Clusterin and actin are abundant in the protein A eluate pools of most mAbs studied. HCP profiling by this methodology can provide useful information to process developers and lead to the refinement of existing purification platforms.     

Cationic polymer precipitation for enhanced impurity removal in downstream processing

Precipitation can be used for the removal of impurities early in the downstream purification process of biologics, with the soluble product remaining in the filtrate through microfiltration. The objective of this study was to examine the use of polyallylamine (PAA) precipitation to increase the purity of product via higher host cell protein removal to enhance polysorbate excipient stability to enable a longer shelf life. Experiments were performed using three monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) with different properties of isoelectric point and IgG subclass. High throughput workflows were established to quickly screen precipitation conditions as a function of pH, conductivity and PAA concentrations. Process analytical tools (PATs) were used to evaluate the size distribution of particles and inform the optimal precipitation condition. Minimal pressure increase was observed during depth filtration of the precipitates. The precipitation was scaled up to 20L size and the extensive characterization of precipitated samples after protein A chromatography showed >75% reduction of host cell protein (HCP) concentrations (by ELISA), >90% reduction of number of HCP species (by mass spectrometry), and >99.8% reduction of DNA. The stability of polysorbate containing formulation buffers for all three mAbs in the protein A purified intermediates was improved at least 25% after PAA precipitation. Mass spectrometry was used to obtain additional understanding of the interaction between PAA and HCPs with different properties. Minimal impact on product quality and <5% yield loss after precipitation were observed while the residual PAA was <9 ppm. These results expand the toolbox in downstream purification to solve HCP clearance issues for programs with purification challenges, while also providing important insights into the integration of precipitation–depth filtration and the current platform process for the purification of biologics.     

Development of a modular virus clearance package for anion exchange chromatography operated in weak partitioning mode

Anion exchange chromatography (AEX) operated under weak partitioning mode has been proven to be a powerful polishing step as well as a robust viral clearance step in Pfizer's monoclonal antibody (mAb) platform purification process. A multivariate design of experiment (DoE) study was conducted to understand the impact of operating parameters and feedstream impurity levels on viral clearance by weak partitioning mode AEX. Bacteriophage was used initially as a surrogate for neutral and acidic isoelectric point mammalian viruses (e.g., retrovirus and parvovirus). Five different mAbs were used in the evaluation of process parameters such as load challenge (both product and impurities), load pH, load conductivity, and contact time (bed height and flow‐rate). The operating ranges obtained from phage clearance studies and Pfizer's historical data were used to define an appropriate operating range for a subsequent clearance study with model retrovirus and parvovirus. Both phage and virus clearance evaluations included feedstreams containing different levels of impurities such as high molecular mass species (HMMS), host cell proteins (HCPs), and host cell DNA. For all the conditions tested, over 5 log₁₀ of clearance for both retrovirus and parvovirus was achieved. The results demonstrated that weak partitioning mode AEX chromatography is a robust step for viral clearance and has the potential to be included as part of the modular viral clearance approach. © 2015 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 31:750–757, 2015     

Antibody purification from CHO cell supernatant using new multimodal membranes

This contribution describes strategies to purify monoclonal antibodies from Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell culture supernatant using newly designed multimodal membranes (MMMs). The MMMs were used for the capture step purification of human IgG₁ following a size‐exclusion desalting column to remove chaotropic salts that interfere with IgG binding. The MMM column attained higher dynamic binding capacity than a Protein A resin column at an equivalent residence time of 1 min. The two‐step MMM chromatography process achieved high selectivity for capturing hIgG₁ from the CHO cell culture supernatant, though the desalting step resulted in product dilution. Product purity and host cell protein (HCP) level in the elution pool were analyzed and compared to results from a commercial Protein A column. The product purity was >98% and HCP levels were <20 ppm for both purification methods. In addition, hIgG₁ could be eluted from the MMM chromatography column at neutral pH, which is important for limiting the formation of aggregates; although slow elution dilutes the product. Overall, this paper shows that MMMs are highly effective for capture step purification of proteins and should be considered when Protein A cannot be used, e.g., for pH sensitive mAbs or proteins lacking an Fc binding domain. © 2017 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 33:658–665, 2017     

Integrated solution to purification challenges in the manufacture of a soluble recombinant protein in E. coli

Apolipoprotein A 1 Milano (ApoA‐1M), the protein component of a high‐density lipoprotein (HDL) mimic with promising potential for reduction of atherosclerotic plaque, is produced at large scale by expression in E. coli. Significant difficulty with clearance of host cell proteins (HCPs) was experienced in the original manufacturing process despite a lengthy downstream purification train. Analysis of purified protein solutions and intermediate process samples led to identification of several major HCPs co‐purifying with the product and a bacterial protease potentially causing a specific truncation of ApoA‐1M found in the final product. Deletion of these genes from the original host strain succeeded in substantially reducing the levels of HCPs and the truncated species without adversely affecting the overall fermentation productivity, contributing to a much more efficient and robust new manufacturing process. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2010; 105: 239–249. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

High‐throughput mAb expression and purification platform based on transient CHO

A high‐cell‐density transient transfection system was recently developed in our laboratory based on a CHO‐GS‐KO cell line. This method yields monoclonal antibody titers up to 350 mg/L from a simple 7‐day process, in volumes ranging from 2 mL to 2 L. By performing transfections in 24‐deep‐well plates, a large number of mAbs can be expressed simultaneously. We coupled this new high‐throughput transfection process to a semiautomated protein A purification process. Using a Biomek FX^p liquid handling robot, up to 72 unique mAbs can be simultaneously purified. Our primary goal was to obtain >0.25 mg of purified mAb at a concentration of >0.5 mg/mL, without any concentration or buffer‐exchange steps. We optimized both the batch‐binding and the batch elution steps. The length of the batch‐binding step was important to minimize mAb losses in the flowthrough fraction. The elution step proved to be challenging to simultaneously maximize protein recovery and protein concentration. We designed a variable volume elution strategy based on the average supernatant titer. Finally, we present two case studies. In the first study, we produced 56 affinity maturation mAb variants at an average yield of 0.33 ± 0.05 mg (average concentration of 0.65 ± 0.10 mg/mL). In a second study, we produced 42 unique mAbs, from an early‐stage discovery effort, at an average yield of 0.79 ± 0.31 mg (average concentration of 1.59 ± 0.63 mg/mL). The combination of parallel high‐yielding transient transfection and semiautomated high‐throughput protein A purification represents a valuable mAb drug discovery tool. © 2014 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 31:239–247, 2015