Industry Innovators 2021-2022 Archives - BioProcess InternationalBioProcess International

High-Yield AAV Viral Vector Production in Corning Ascent Fixed-Bed Reactor System

Gene therapies hold great promise for one-time treatments that alleviate or cure certain genetic conditions. Recombinant adenoassociated viral (AAV) and lentiviral vectors have emerged as leading gene delivery methods for in vivo and ex vivo gene therapies, respectively. With more than 500 gene therapy clinical trials underway, the industry needs scalable, cost-efficient viral vector manufacturing. To address those needs, Corning developed the Ascent fixed-bed bioreactor system for scalable, high-density, adherent cell culture, including high-yield viral vector manufacturing. The Ascent fixed-bed…

Model-Based Process Monitoring of Algae Cultures Using eve Software

by P. Jerono, A. Schaum, T. Meurer, I. Zamora and D. von Blarer

In bioreactor processes, the on-line monitoring of key parameters relies on the use of adequate sensors. In this article, we implement model-based software sensors to monitor nitrate concentrations in an algae batch process. Nitrate concentration is a crucial component in algae growth, and its assessment is used to achieve optimal growth conditions or to determine optimal harvest times. Batch cultivation of the algae Chlamydomonas reinhardtii is carried out in a Labfors 5 airlift photobioreactor provided by INFORS-HT. By means of…

PendoTECH Sensors and Industry 4.0: Integrating a PendoTECH Single-Use Sensor System with a Digital Highway

by Nick Troise

Biopharmaceutical manufacturing is evolving with the progression of Industry 4.0. Industry 4.0 refers to the ongoing “fourth industrial revolution,” which is transforming modern manufacturing and production practices through the use of “smart” technology. This is appealing especially to the biopharmaceutical industry, where production can be a long, meticulous, complex process, and optimizing manufacturing procedures is critical for success. As a leading supplier of single-use technology for the biopharmaceutical industry, PendoTECH recently has explored how its products can be integrated easily…

High Virus-Titer–Producing Cell Lines for Bioproduction

by E. Turner-Gillies and B. Shapiro

Antiviral vaccines are essential for preventing epidemic disease. However, production of them often is limited by low-yielding manufacturing processes. Similarly, the development of gene therapies is constrained during the production of adenoassociated virus (AAV) delivery platforms for gene transfer. To address the need for efficient viral synthesis to quicken the pace of bioproduction, ATCC used CRISPR/Cas9 genome-editing technology to develop STAT1 and BAX knockout (STAT1 BAX KO) cell lines to produce high-titer viral stocks. Three cell lines optimized for virus…

28 Years of Experience Developing and Manufacturing Biopharmaceuticals

by Codi Greene

Avid Bioservices, Inc. is a full-service, dedicated contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) focused on biopharmaceutical drug substances derived from mammalian cell culture. Avid’s services include process development and current good manufacturing practice (CGMP) clinical and commercial drug-substance manufacturing, bulk packaging, release and stability testing, and regulatory submissions support. For early stage programs, the company provides process development activities such as upstream and downstream development and optimization, pilot-scale manufacturing, analytical methods development, and testing and characterization. Avid has 28 years…

Partnering with Innovators: From Raw Materials to Commercial-Ready Processes

by Maribeth Donovan Janke

Advancements in life sciences technologies and the increasing demands for improved, effective, and innovative products to prevent, treat, and in some cases, cure diseases have focused the attention of drug developers on new modalities such as mRNA-, DNA-, viral vector-, and cell-based therapies and vaccines. Novel biopharmaceutical products bring a level of complexity to developing and bringing them through design, clinical studies, and to the market. Like traditional drug products, complex therapies require robust, scalable manufacturing processes, a reliable quality-driven…

Corning X-WASH System: DMSO Reduction of Cryopreserved Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells

by Hilary Sherman

Cryopreservation is a necessary part of workflows for both autologous and allogeneic therapies. The ability to cryopreserve cells for cell therapy increases the range of administration, shelf life, and time for safety testing. Cryoprotectants such as dimethyl sulphoxide (DMSO) often are added to freezing media to increase post-thaw cell survival. However, DMSO itself can be cytotoxic, so reducing its final concentration can be necessary. Below, I demonstrate how the Corning X-WASH system can reduce the amount of DMSO used in…

Financial Benefits of Off-Site Prefabricated Cleanroom Infrastructures

by Maik W. Jornitz

Traditional cleanroom infrastructures, gypsum, or monolithic wall panels have been used in the past with varying success and benefit. One of the most often proclaimed benefits is the cost of those on-site built structures. Characteristically, the cost quoted at the beginning of a construction project seems to be attractive, but construction estimates are not better than ±50% at feasibility (preconcept) and ±25% at end of conceptual design. Given the above accuracy ranges, industry surveys establish that in most cases, the…

Accelerating the Development of Cell and Gene Therapies: From Discovery to Biomanufacture

by Sophie Lutter

Oxgene, a WuXi Advanced Therapies (WuXi ATU) company, provides cell and gene therapy pioneers around the world with technologies, automation platforms, and service solutions to advance their preclinical research and accelerate their timelines to good manufacturing practice (GMP) manufacturing. WuXi ATU, a global contract testing, development, and manufacturing organization (CTDMO), offers world-class, integrated GMP manufacturing and testing platforms to reduce time to market, while maintaining high titers, high levels of quality assurance, and full regulatory compliance. Together, our complete end-to-end…

Biopharmaceutical Development and CGMP Manufacturing: Expansion of Capacities for Clinical and Commercial Supply

by Thilo Kamphausen

Richter-Helm BioLogics is a leading and steadily growing contract manufacturer based in Germany. We comply with good manufacturing practice (GMP) and specialize in microbial biopharmaceutical products. Our work focuses on recombinant proteins, plasmid DNA, antibody fragments, and vaccines. Clients worldwide already have benefited from our commitment to GMP, flexibility, and total transparency. With a proven 30-year track record and highly skilled professionals, Richter-Helm supports you with process development, supply of products for clinical trials, commercial production, in-house quality control (QC)…