May 2010

Mergers and acquisitions have long been a staple of the life sciences industry — a reality that has resulted in disparate information technology (IT) environments within and across often far-flung enterprises. The situation is particularly prevalent in manufacturing operations because a pharmaceutical or biotechnology organization may run different management systems in nearly every separate facility (especially when contract manufacturers are involved). These “siloed” information environments are hindering efforts to evaluate and improve quality and operational efficiency at a time when quality and efficiency are most important to life-science executives. One way to solve the problem is to implement a single IT application across all manufacturing plants. But that is risky, expensive, and time consuming — if at all feasible given good manufacturing practice (GMP) and validation requirements as well as business pressures. Biomanufacturers, therefore, seek strategies and tools to help them make the most of...

Certain types of quality control (QC) testing are often outsourced by pharmaceutical companies, regardless of an organization’s size — typically because the company is either incapable of performing the assays in-house or does not wish to bring them into its facility. The decision to outsource may be based on Examples of contracted testing include viral and mycoplasma safety studies with infectious positive control organisms, analytical testing using highly specialized equipment such as inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) or inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES), and radiolabeling studies for metabolism or biodistribution. Fortunately, a number of contract research and testing organizations can and will perform such types of testing. The wrong way to manage a contract laboratory () Much has been written about the rationales for and advantages of outsourcing manufacturing and/or testing services, selecting outsourcing partners, and optimizing sponsor/contractor...

Flexibility has quickly become one of the most noticeable buzzwords of the bioprocessing industry. Understanding what constitutes a “flexible” process ranges from the simple application of one specific type of technology (e.g., single-use systems, automation, standard controls) to a somewhat extreme concept of a “throw-away” process. But whatever the definition, the factors leading to the need for more flexible approaches to biomanufacture are clear: Rapid, sometimes unexpected, changes in a company’s business situation and/or product portfolio (whether for patients or clinical trials) require that companies adjust to meet those challenges in very short time. Achieving Flexibility Although blockbusters are still dominating current markets, biopharmaceutical companies have been quietly shifting from the blockbuster model to diversified portfolios with big and small products on the horizon. To develop those products, manufacturers have been forced into a position of having to introduce flexibility into the...

When bioprocess liquids bearing suspended particles are filtered, retained particles can block and clog membrane filter pores. The pore size rating of a filter should be selected to retain objectionable particles by sieving, and the aptitude of its polymeric composition for adsorptive sequestration of those particulates also needs to be known. The quantity and nature of retained particles require accommodation if filtrative removal is to be considered successful. Too extensive a particle load will prematurely block a filter’s delivery of sufficient throughput to meet the filtration’s goal: obtaining enough drug product to provide an adequate monetary return. Drug processing thus represents a technoeconomic challenge. In the first half of this two-part article ( 1 ), we examined fluid effects and operations (particle load; interactions of filtration area, differential pressure, and processing time; and operating conditions) as well as reviewed the results of several experiments involving latex particles an...

Biomanufacturers face a conflict between low-cost generic host cell protein (HCP) assays and highly sensitive but more costly process-specific HCP assays that are usually not initiated until the proof-of-concept stage. But drug developers cannot expect sufficient sensitivity from most commercially available generic assays. For some companies, multiproduct HCP assays could offer a solution to the dilemma. Biopharmaceutical manufacture using genetically modified microorganisms and cell lines is typically associated with contamination by process-related impurities. One of the most important contaminations during product development and production of biopharmaceuticals is HCPs originating from the production cell line. HCPs are inherent to all production processes relying on bacterial, yeast, or mammalian cell culture, and they can reduce drug efficacy and even delay or kill promising drug candidates through adverse patient reactions. PRODUCT FOCUS: PROTEINS (PRODUCTS OF CELL CULTURE AND FERMENTATION) PROCES...

Optimized upstream processing and high-productivity cell culture increase not only target protein titers, but also impurity and contaminant concentrations to be removed from large volumes of feedstock. Simultaneously, biopharmaceutical drug production is increasingly driven by manufacturing cost reduction. These facts together increase the pressure on downstream processing and create an urgent need for more productive and streamlined chromatography operations. Key parameters to consider for enhanced process economics in chromatography are higher protein binding capacities at high flow rates (to reduce batch processing duration) and improved sorbent selectivities (to reduce the number of column chromatography steps and decrease purification cost). Ion-exchange (IEX) chromatography is one of the most broadly used techniques for protein purification. Protein binding during ion exchange is driven by a combination of factors including primarily PRODUCT FOCUS: PROTEINS PROCESS FOCUS: DOWNSTREAM PROCESSING WHO...

Stem Cell Harvesting Product: CellCelector stem cell picker Applications: Stem cell projects Features: Through its distribution agreement with AVISO GmbH, TAP offers the CellCelector automated stem cell picker to the US, Canadian, Irish, and UK markets. The noninvasive system automates selection and harvesting of murine and human stem cells to reduce associated time and costs in research and development. Lifelike images of cells before harvest allow users to document and standardize the quality of cells chosen. The system compliments TAP’s CompacT SelecT automated cell culture system. Contact The Automation Partnership www.automationpartnership.com Disposable Fluid Control Product: Large tube clamp Applications: Single-use fluid management Features: Advanced Scientifics has developed a large tube clamp for controlling or stopping the flow of a fluid path through 0.75–1.75 in. outer diameter (OD) tubing (0.125-in. wall). This component includes a simple, secure locking and unlocking feature for versa...

Many companies are adopting single-use technologies. This program begins with a workshop that showcases the cutting-edge implementation experience of CMOs and start-up companies. The complete program includes the latest case studies and strategies for single-use bioprocessing, including development of a fully disposable downstream train, disposable bioreactors and sensors, and other components. Validation for applications involving the reduction of extractables, leachables, endotoxins, particles, and other risk factors will be explained. A shared session with the colocated vaccine conference gives an in-depth look at the use of disposables in vaccine production. Vaccine manufacturers are cutting-edge early adapters of single-use technologies. Hear how leaders in the field are increasing manufacturing flexibility, developing products faster and at lower cost, enabling multiuse facilities, accelerating turn-around times, and reducing validation efforts. Catch an FDA update on regultory review of single-use ...