August 2018 Featured Report Archives - BioProcess InternationalBioProcess International

A Platform Production Process for Manufacturing Viral Vector and Vaccine Therapeutics Using Vero Cells

Yan Zhi, program design technical lead, Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies (FDB) is a world-leading contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) with over 25 years of experience using biologicals and more than 310 projects including six licenses. Production sites are located in North Carolina and Texas. In Texas, the flexible biomanufacturing facility can handle production from preclinical to current good manufacturing practices (CGMP) commercial manufacturing. Facilities and capabilities include state-of-the-art process development; mobile cleanroom (MCR) technology with fully segregated…

BioProcess Insider BPI Theater @ BIO 2018 Interviews – Tuesday

by BPI Staff

BioProcess Insider brings the news as it breaks. At the BPI Theater @BIO, editor Dan Stanton conducted a series of interviews live on stage to report on the latest movements in the biomanufacturing industry to start each busy day of dealmaking in Boston. Below we summarize his DAY ONE conversations with a number of biopharmaceutical executives on Tuesday 5 June 2018. You can watch the full interviews online at www.bioprocessintl.com/BIO-Theater-2018. Andy Topping, Chief Scientific Officer, Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies Gene therapies show…

Manufacturing Automation for Patient-Scale Cell Therapies

by Nina Bauer

Nina Bauer, associate director of autologous cell therapy commercial development, Lonza Pharma and Biotech Lonza Emerging Technologies is focusing on cell and gene therapies. Lonza now has expertise in different cell and vector types, constructs, process and assay development, and platform technologies for both clinical and commercial manufacturing. This includes taking a concept through commercial manufacturing. Lonza just opened a site in Houston, TX, and another in the Netherlands, as well as partnering with Nikon in the Asian market. Cell…

Acoustic Cell Processing: An Innovation in Cell-Therapy Manufacturing

by Richard Grant

Richard Grant, chief product officer, FloDesign FloDesign is experimenting with applications of acoustics to cell-therapy manufacturing. An electric transducer is attached to a closed-flow system and generates forward propagating waves that are reflected as backward propagating waves. This sets up three-dimensional standing waves within the cell (flow) chamber. When cells enter the flow channel, acoustic forces cause then to cluster within the nodes of those standing waves, ultimately settling out through enhanced gravitational means. Acoustic cell processing is scalable and…

Therapeutic Modalities: Business and Manufacturing Strategies Influencing Decisions to Develop One Therapy Type Rather Than Another

by BPI Staff

Moderator Patricia Seymour, with John Lee, Michael Kaufman, Jennifer Michaelson, and Weichang Zhou Following introductions of the panelists and their companies’ technologies, moderator Patricia Seymour began the discussion about challenges related to choosing different modalities and addressing related manufacturing concerns. Targeting Modalities Michaelson began by describing how Cullinan Oncology selects its targets and modalities, how it approaches those early phase decisions, and what its primary driver is to get into the clinic as quickly as possible. She talked about challenges…

Feeding the Demand for Cell and Gene Therapy Production

by BPI Staff

Moderator Dan Stanton, with Ohad Karnieli, Alan Moore, and David Brindley Moderator Dan Stanton introduced the second roundtable of Tuesday morning by commenting on the recent spate of approvals for CAR-T cell and gene therapies. With large biopharmaceutical and biotechnology companies devoting scientists and funds toward these next-generation therapies, contract manufacturing organizations (CMOs) also are investing in opportunities to expand capacity and expertise. As the panelists introduced themselves, they raised two key points for discussion: The contracting model for advanced…

The Development of a Next Generation Antibody–Drug Conjugate (ADC)

by Michelle Zengh

Michelle Zengh, chief operating officer, MabPlex International Company Ltd. MabPlex presents a complete solution from gene cloning to antibody–drug conjugate (ADC) fill–finish with a timeline from gene cloning to an investigational new drug application (IND) in 22 months. The company has facilities in San Diego and in China. It can perform cloning and high-yield stable cell-line development, process development and scale-up, CGMP quality and kilogram-scale monoclonal antibody (MAb) and payload manufacturing, large-scale conjugation (150–500 L), large-scale purification, formulation, and fill–finish.…

BioProcess Insider BPI Theater @ BIO 2018 – Wednesday Interviews

by BPI Staff

BioProcess Insider brings the news as it breaks. At the BPI Theater @ BIO, editor Dan Stanton conducted a series of interviews live on stage to report on the latest movements in the biomanufacturing industry to start each busy day of dealmaking in Boston. Below we summarize and share the videos from his DAY TWO conversations with a number of biopharmaceutical executives on Wednesday 6 June 2018. Sean Sommer, Vice President of Advanced Facilities, Jacobs Jacobs offers a range of services…

Rapid, Reliable Response to Biologic Drug Substance and Drug-Product Supply Challenges

by Scott Battist, BJ Hull and Willfredo Mateo

Scott Battist, vice president, general manager, and site head for the drug substance plant, Emergent Bio BJ Hull, vice president, general manager, and site head for the drug product plant, Emergent Bio Willfredo Mateo, director of MS&T for the Camden fill–finish plant, Emergent Bio Emergent Bio started by producing treatments for an anthrax emergency. Traditionally, this has been a biodefense company with contracts from the US government. The company is focused on providing specialty products for civilians and military members…

Speed Matters: Gene to GMP in Nine Months

by Igor Fisch

Igor Fisch, chief executive officer, Selexis, SA Fisch first posed this question: “How can we accelerate the number of drugs going into the clinics?” Speed matters because the faster a drug can get into clinical testing, the faster it can make it to market. He discussed both Selexis and KBI Biopharma and their collaboration, which started in 2012 when KBI developed a heterodimer purification process. JSR acquired both companies with an interest in entering the life sciences business. Selexis has…