Optimization of <em>In vitro</em> Transcription Reaction for mRNA Production Using Chromatographic At-Line Monitoring

In vitro transcription reaction (IVT) is a complex, multi-component enzymatic synthesis of mRNA from a linear DNA template, catalyzed by an RNA polymerase, e.g. T7. Due to the high cost of IVT reagents, IVT is a critical step in the mRNA drug substance production process and has been the focus of intense optimization in the field. To decrease the cost of mRNA production, reagents must be utilized optimally. Effective optimization necessitates a comprehensive understanding of the impact of individual reagents on reaction kinetics, i.e., the consumption of nucleoside triphosphates (NTPs) and the production of mRNA. Traditionally, low-throughput, end-point analytical techniques have been used for the analysis of mRNA. Though such methods give valuable information on mRNA content, at-line, near real-time analytics is needed to fully understand IVT reaction. We demonstrate how a liquid chromatography analytical method that separates NTPs, as well as pDNA and mRNA, can be used in near real-time to study IVT reaction kinetics. With the knowledge of the influence of different IVT components on kinetics and yield, rapid chromatographic analysis can be used to convert batch IVT reaction into a fed-batch mode that further increases productivity and reduces the overall cost of the reaction.