Development of a Triton X-100 replacement for effective virus inactivation in biotechnology processes

After the transmission of human viruses through plasma derivatives had been recognized in the early 1980s, virus inactivation and then removal steps have been implemented into their manufacturing processes. These measures have kept plasma derivatives safe ever since and have also served as a barrier against more recently emerging viruses. Given the success of these interventions, they have also been embedded into the manufacturing processes for cell-derived biological medicinal products. The most effective inactivation process for lipid-enveloped viruses is treatment by detergents or combinations of solvents and detergents, and thus, these processes have been almost universally adopted. One of the most widely used detergents, Triton X-100, has recently raised environmental concerns because one of its degradation products possesses hormone-like (estrogen-mimetic) activity that may act on wildlife. Consequently, use of the chemical in the European Union will ultimately be prohibited. The current study was conducted to establish an environmentally friendly detergent alternative to Triton X-100 with fully equivalent efficacy in biotechnological use. A newly synthesized compound, named Nereid, as well as Triton X-100 reduced, seem to satisfy these requirements, and thus may be suitable replacements for Triton X-100.