Author Archives: Jean-Marc Cappia

Integrity Redefined: Consistent Robustness and Integrity Testing Lead to Enhanced Process Integrity and Patient Safety

With the increasing adoption of single-use systems (SUS) in critical stages of biopharmaceutical manufacturing, any lack of system integrity can significantly affect drug product quality and patient safety, as well as incur additional costs due to product loss and disrupted production cycle. This article from Sartorius Stedim Biotech, describes how determining the correlation between liquid leakage and microbial ingress can be used to define MALLs (Maximum Allowable Leakage Limits) of SUS for different process steps. The article also details the…

Supply Chain - Figure 1

Control of Single-Use System Supply Chains

Single-use technologies are now dominant for the clinical production of biopharmaceuticals and are becoming more mainstream within commercial manufacturing facilities. They allow biologics manufacturers to decrease the footprint of their facilities by approximately 20% because of a reduced need for utilities that generate water, steam, and clean-in-place solutions. Engineers believe that the capital outlay for a single-use facility is 25–45% less than for a facility based on stainless steel equipment. Similarly, they estimate that such facilities need half the water…

Outsourcing to Enhance Assurance of Supply: Application of Counterintuitive Supply Chain Strategies — A Case Study

Single-use technologies have transformed biopharmaceutical manufacturing by providing tremendous and proven opportunities to reduce costs, improve flexibility, and shorten cycle times. The expansion of such technologies into commercial production has naturally raised new challenges for both end users and suppliers, thus driving the need for a critical look at risks associated with their use. End users now face a new challenge: how to assess their own supply chains for robust assurance of supply. What is the suppliers’ responsibility in addressing…

Robust and Convenient Single-Use Processing: The Superior Strength and Flexibility of Flexsafe Bags

With the increased use of disposable bioprocessing bags in all critical process steps of the biopharmaceutical drug production, there is a growing requirement for high-quality, robust, and easy-to-handle bioprocessing bags. The new generation of films and bags must combine multiple mechanical, physical, and chemical properties to make these products suitable and scalable for all processing steps in upstream, downstream, and final filling operations, including cell culture in rocking motion and/or stirred-tank, single-use bioreactors as well as storage, mixing, shipping, and…

Enhanced Assurance of Supply for Single-Use Bags: Based on Material Science, Quality By Design, and Partnership with Suppliers

Growing adoption of single-use bags in commercial production of biopharmaceutical drugs raises new challenges for bag suppliers and drives the need for consistent product quality, improved assurance of supply, robust change management, and business continuity planning. In close collaboration with resin and film suppliers, polymer scientists and biologists at Sartorius Stedim Biotech have followed a stringent material science and quality by design (QbD) program to develop a completely new polyethylene film and to achieve consistent performance of new Flexsafe bags…

Enhanced Assurance of Supply for Single-Use Bags: New Flexsafe Bag Family

Growing adoption of single-use bags for the production of biopharmaceutical drugs raises new challenges, including consistent product quality, improved assurance of supply, robust change management, and business continuity planning. In close collaboration with resin and film suppliers, Sartorius Stedim Biotech’s polymer scientists and biologists have followed a quality by design (QbD) program for the development of a completely new polyethylene film S80 thus achieving consistent performance of the new Flexsafe bags for all bioprocess steps and applications. The partnerships and…