Although disposable parts and modules have been used in the biopharmaceutical industry since the 1970s, as detailed in the “History†box, total disposable manufacturing has become a viable option only very recently. Whereas liquid storage became disposable in the 1990s, processing operations such as depth filtration, tangential-flow filtration (TFF), and chromatography have still required skids with reusable flow paths that needed cleaning and sanitization. Important recent milestones in total disposable technology included introduction of stirred bioreactors by HyClone (Thermo Scientific)…
Downstream Processing
Implementing a Single-Use Solution for Fill–Finish Manufacturing Operations
Fill–finish is the final operation in manufacture of sterile products (except for terminally sterilized products). This process requires sophisticated technology and machinery in a highly controlled, aseptic environment. Fill–finish assemblies must meet stringent requirements to ensure flow-path sterility and integrity, ensure operational safety and efficiency, and provide fill-volume accuracy to exacting requirements. Traditional fill–finish machinery comes as fixed systems comprising complex components that require assembly, cleaning and sterilization, disassembly, and material storage after filling is complete. Those operational…
A Case Study in Qualification of Single-Use Filling Manifolds for Particles and Endotoxins
Single-use technology is being examined for implementation in an increasing number of steps in the biopharmaceutical manufacturing process. Some examples of currently available disposable components include filter capsules, tubing, connectors, and biocontainers (for storage, mixing, and bioreactors), as well as devices for chromatography and multipass tangential-flow filtration (1,2). This technology was first implemented in upstream and API downstream processes such as media and buffer preparation, followed by upstream bioreactors and mixers (3). The single-use trend has most recently…
Where Will Technology Take Cell Therapy?
The cell therapy industry’s biggest challenge is in manufacturing. Technologies are needed to support expansion of large numbers of cells for commercial production. A number of sources are presenting options: e.g., standard two-dimensional tissue cultures that “grow up†to Corning HYPERFlask and CellSTACK or Nunc Cell Factory systems; hollow-fiber–based equipment; and disposable bags and traditional stirred-tank bioreactors. Each has its place and application, but how can companies choose among them? Where and when do they initiate scale-up process…
Predicting Virus Filtration Performance with Virus Spike Characterization
Evaluating a virus filter should, in theory, be a straightforward exercise. Membrane-based filtration is a robust virus reduction technology that plays an important role in virus safety for most drug production processes. An appropriate virus filter for a given process is generally selected through preliminary testing with relevant drug feed material. Data acquired during such tests are used to determine hydraulic performance targets such as expected flow rates and total throughputs. A virus clearance evaluation study is then performed in…
Efficient Aggregate Removal from Impure Pharmaceutical Active Antibodies
Polishing with membrane chromatography (MC) has achieved acceptance as state-of- the-art technology for charged impurities. Traditionally, anion-exchange (AEX) and cation-exchange (CEX) membrane chromatography have been used to remove charged contaminants such as host-cell proteins (HCPs), recombinant DNA, protein A, endotoxins, and viruses. In monoclonal antibody (MAb) processes, polishing steps usually follow a protein A affinity column step. In some cases, CEX capture is applied, either with at least one AEX or a combined AEX and CEX step. The latter may…
Industrial-Scale Biochromatography Columns Address Challenging Purification Needs
Chromatographic purification remains the most critical step in biopharmaceutical downstream processing. Its purpose is to separate biologic impurities such as host-cell proteins (HCPs), nucleic acids, and oligomers from a target biologic, which must be purified to very high levels (often >99%). Biological separations usually require medium to high salt concentrations and bear inherent risks of microbial contamination in waterbased process streams. Thus they require specifically designed equipment. Depending on process constraints, chromatographic media, and equipment limitations, biochromatographic separations…
Understanding Virus Preparations Using Nanoscale Particle Characterization
As regulators become increasingly stringent in demanding a fuller understanding of whole virus preparations, researchers and manufacturers are looking beyond well-known characterization methodologies. Existing technologies for quantifying and characterizing viral preparations such as infectivity assays, quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), and protein assays provide crucial information but tell only half the story. We evaluated a unique technology developed by NanoSight Ltd. (www.nanosight.com) for visualizing viruses in liquid suspensions, measuring their approximate concentration, and characterizing their state of aggregation. Information generated…
Modeling Perfusion Processes in Biopharmaceutical Production
Perfusion processes are considered more difficult to model than batch-based fermentation processes because up to a third of a perfusion-based campaign is spent outside “steady-state†production mode. Variabilities in cell density, titer, and harvest rate (HR) during ramp-up necessitate planning and explicit modeling of variabilities in these processes and their subsequent downstream operations. Longer continuous fermentation times require more rigorous attention to risk than do batch-based systems. A flexible purification platform must respond to changing fermentation conditions. Here…
Single-Use Tangential Flow Filtration in Bioprocessing
Single-use (SU) components are widely accepted in bioprocessing due in part to improvements in component design, a wider range of products, and increased scalability. Benefits driving their increased use include elimination of cleaning, improved system flexibility, and reduced risk of contamination. Nonetheless, companies now question how far disposables can be incorporated into bioprocessing unit operations. Results of the second annual survey of the bioprocessing market fo single-use solutions showed that >90% of respondents considered filtration well suited for…