The present invention deals with the proteolytic enzyme thermolysin which tends to be unstable in aqueous solution. The invention provides methods and compositions to enhance the stability of dissolved thermolysin in aqueous solution. Thermolysin, crude thermolysin or a lyophilisate containing thermolysin and one or more salts, is contacted with an aqueous buffer with a low salt concentration and a first solution is formed. Subsequently, a further salt in solid form is added and dissociated, thereby forming a second solution comprising thermolysin in a stabilized form.

Disclosed is a dissolvable, gel-forming film, and methods for its use, comprising a water-soluble cellulose ether, a hydrophilic rheological modifying agent, and an active proteolytic enzyme or other drug substance. The gel-forming film has a water content of less than 15% w/w and is capable of forming a hydrogel when contacted with water or other aqueous medium. The disclosed films achieve delivery of stable proteolytic enzymes to the desired site of action in a manner that provides uniform delivery of the enzymes.

The invention relates to recombinant nucleic acid and polypeptides encoding collagenase I and collagenase II, methods for the preparation thereof and methods for the use thereof. The invention also encompasses methods related to releasing a composition comprising collagenase prior to therapeutic administration.

The present invention provides highly effective and safe means capable of preventing or treating an egg allergy in infants. An oral immunotolerance agent or a food composition for preventing or treating an egg allergy according to the present invention contains a degraded product of heat-denatured egg white with an aspartic protease (e.g. pepsin) or a metal protease (e.g. thermolysin).

Disclosed is a dissolvable, gel-forming film, and methods for its use, comprising a water-soluble cellulose ether, a hydrophilic rheological modifying agent, and an active proteolytic enzyme or other drug substance. The gel-forming film has a water content of less than 15% w/w and is capable of forming a hydrogel when contacted with water or other aqueous medium. The disclosed films achieve delivery of stable proteolytic enzymes to the desired site of action in a manner that provides uniform delivery of the enzymes.

Described are compositions, in particular lyophilizates, containing proteolytic enzymes, and methods for producing the compositions. Typically these compositions contain one or more proteases with collagenase activity and a neutral protease, for example, thermolysin. The compositions are free of acetate salts. Surprisingly, such compositions can be dissolved in water more rapidly than lyophilized protease mixtures of the state of the art.