Methods for Assessment of the Specific Activity of Drugs for Prevention of Hepatitis B

Abstract

The immunologic activity (specific activity) is one of the main indicators of quality of vaccines for prophylaxis of hepatitis B, along with their safety. Retrospective analysis of the use of laboratory methods for assessment of specific (immunogenic) activity of modern vaccines against hepatitis B using indicators was carried out: in vitro method based on evaluation of HBsAg content and in vivo method based on evaluation of immunogenic activity in mice. Both methods are standardized and described in normative documents on the vaccines against hepatitis B of domestic production registered in the Russian Federation. Indicators of specific (immunogenic) activity of vaccines against hepatitis B were used to investigate more than 170 vaccine series using the ELISA method in the period from 2013 to 2015. The obtained control results confirmed the expediency and efficiency of enzyme immunoassay for determination of HBsAg content, as well as permissibility of use of ready sets of the Murex HBsAg Version 3 test systems for testing vaccines against hepatitis B by the ELISA method. Analysis of the results of laboratory control of series of vaccines against hepatitis B using a biological method for immunogenicity evaluation based on ED50 analysis confirms persistently high immunogenic activity of the Russian commercial vaccines intended for prophylaxis of hepatitis B. The confirmed comparability of methods allows the number of in vivo tests to be further reduced in favor of the enzyme immunoassay authentically characterizing the produced drug.