Affinity chromatography of immunoglobulins by using pre-capture flocculation

A method for prevention of precipitations in the course of a capture affinity chromatography of an immunoglobulin from a cell culture fluid, the method comprising the following steps in the following order:

• (a) adding a flocculation-inducing compound to the cell culture fluid;
• (b) depth filtration of the mixture of step (a);
• (c) exposing the filtrate obtained in step (b) to affinity chromatography, wherein the immunoglobulin is bound to the affinity chromatography medium;
• (d) washing the affinity chromatography medium by adding a washing buffer with a pH value of 5 to 9 and a ionic strength of 0.1 to 5.0 mol/L to the affinity chromatography medium of step (c);
• and
• (e) eluting the immunoglobulin from the affinity chromatography resin by adding an elution buffer with a pH value of 2.5 to 4.5 to the affinity chromatography medium, wherein the flocculation-inducing compound is poly (diallyldimethylammonium chloride) and wherein except the poly (diallyldimethylammonium chloride) no further substances are added for performing the flocculation, wherein the method is carried out at large scale, in which the immunoglobulin eluted from the column of the capture step amounts to more than 50 g.