Friday, March 1, 2013 Daily Archives

Polishing of Monoclonal Antibodies Using Capto™ adhere ImpRes in Bind and Elute Mode

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MAbs and MAb conjugates are today in great demand for use as biopharamaceuticals. As a result, more cost-effective, efficient, and flexible process purification schemes are one of the highest priorities for MAb manufacturers. In this work, results from two case studies using Capto adhere ImpRes, a multimodal anion exchanger designed for polishing, are presented. Two different MAbs were purified in bind and elute mode. The results show high yields of MAb monomers, good clearance of aggregates, HCP, and leached protein…

March 1, 2013

Going Paperless from Lab to Plant

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The drive to “go paperless” is a strategic initiative that offers demonstrable operational benefits in improving productivity, reducing cycle times and leveraging experimental and operational data along the entire research-development-manufacturing continuum. This technology brief reviews recent initiatives by science-based organizations to develop and deploy software that spans the lab-to-commercialization lifecycle using data standardization/harmonization technology and electronic lab notebooks (ELNs) to streamline technology transfer. Organizations adopting these proven informatics solutions can experience: Enhanced productivity Faster time to market Improved compliance More…

March 1, 2013

Global Evolution of Biomanufacturing

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Biomanufacturing of human therapeutics is beginning a global transformation. New technologies, improved processes, the emergence of biosimilars, and growing worldwide demand for vaccines and biologic drugs to serve local populations are driving this transformation. Over the next few years, diverse new markets will open, creating opportunities for a range of companies seeking to enter the field while putting pressure on established biomanufacturers to reassess their operating models. Many traditional barriers-to-entry in biomanufacturing are diminishing. Yet other challenges — including access…

March 1, 2013

2012 in Review

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As children growing up, we could barely contain our anticipation for those banner, milestone years: entering first grade, becoming a teenager, turning 16 and then 18, high-school graduation. But even the most innocuous “in-between” years saw notable change and maturation, and 2012 was just such a year for the growing cell therapy sector. Although it is not likely to be noted as a pivotal or breakthrough year, 2012 nonetheless delivered some significant and welcome signposts of continued sector maturation. Here…

March 1, 2013

FDA Biopharmaceutical Product Approvals and Trends in 2012

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The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted 18 new biopharmaceutical product approvals in 2012, covering a broad range of innovation, novelty, and healthcare and market impact. The total includes 16 full/original approvals: biologics license applications (BLAs) and new drug applications (NDAs). The other two products received supplemental approvals, both of them influenza vaccines. Among the 18 approvals were eight recombinant proteins, including two monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) and one engineered antibody-like “trap” molecule. Table 1 lists them all. Table 1: FDA…

March 1, 2013

Single-Use Technologies in Cell Therapy

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Single-use technologies (SUTs) are tools that can be used in producing cell therapies and personalized medicines. Such products must meet specific requirements because of the way they are used. To meet those criteria, the cell therapy industry simply has no alternatives to single-use systems. SUT applications are rapidly changing. Traditional uses for single-use systems in cell therapy include processing in clinical settings (e.g., blood bags, transfer sets) and research and development (e.g., T-flasks, pipettes). Although such applications continue, the commercialization…

March 1, 2013

A Powerful Pairing

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Biological product and process characterization are not new to this quality by design (QbD) and process analytical technology (PAT) era. In the 1990s we saw the FDA introduce the concept of well-characterized biologics: an acknowledgment that analytical technology had advanced to the point where the bioprocess did not necessarily (or not fully, anyway) define a biopharmaceutical product. That ultimately led to the regulation of some types of products within the United States moving from the purview of FDA’s Center for…

March 1, 2013

Automation of Cell Therapy Biomanufacturing

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Biomanufacturing automation is an established mission-critical step in the commercialization pathway for conventional therapeutics, including small molecules and monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) (1). The prospect of a potential biologic progressing into late-stage clinical trials without a robust biomanufacturing strategy to support at least pilot-plant scale bioprocessing is simply unthinkable. Conversely, the cell therapy industry (or at least a significant proportion of it) regard this as a trend that is unlikely to be mirrored as the industry develops. The aim of this…

March 1, 2013

PEGylation of Biologics

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In the 1970s, life-science researchers envisioned protein therapeutics as the ultimate targeted therapy. Companies could use them to address genetic deficiencies and cancer, among other disease classes, as well as to nudge the immune system for treating autoimmune disorders. The first therapeutic proteins were derived from animal or microbial cells, so patients launched immune responses to them that could curtail their activity and produce dangerous side effects. PEGylation was initially used to prevent immune responses with such drugs. PEG is…

March 1, 2013

Managing Contamination Risk While Maintaining Quality in Cell-Therapy Manufacturing

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With an increasing number of cell therapies becoming available for patient use, the need for controlled and consistent manufacturing and delivery of cell products is increasingly important. A closed cell culture process not only offers control and consistency, but may also relieve labor demands. Single-use components within a closed process also can reduce contamination risk. Closed systems with single-use platforms may reduce the risk of biological contamination and cross-contamination that could inadvertently be introduced into cell-culture processes. Such contaminants use…

March 1, 2013