A process for sterilizing a solution comprising hyaluronic acid. The process comprises providing an aqueous solution of hyaluronic acid with a weight average molecular weight from 0.6 MDa to 3.6 MDa, and the concentration of the hyaluronic acid is from 0.04 % to 0.8 % by weight. The aqueous solution also has an ionic strength equivalent to an aqueous concentration of sodium chloride from 3 % to 30 % by weight. Once the aqueous, high salt, hyaluronic acid solution is prepared the solution is maintained at a temperature from 40 ℃ to 80 ℃ for at least l hour and not longer than six days. Following the heat treatment step, the aqueous solution is filtered through a sterilization filter medium to provide a sterilized high salt, hyaluronic acid solution.本發明係關於一種對包含玻尿酸之溶液進行滅菌的方法。該方法包含提供重量平均分子量為0.6MDa至3.6MDa之玻尿酸的水溶液,且玻尿酸之濃度為0.04重量%至0.8重量%。該水溶液亦具有相當於3重量%至30重量%之氯化鈉水溶液濃度的離子強度。製備高鹽玻尿酸水溶液後,即將該溶液保持在40℃至80℃之溫度下至少1小時且不超過6天。繼該熱處理步驟之後,將該水溶液經由滅菌過濾介質過濾,以提供經滅菌之高鹽玻尿酸溶液。