Expertise

Cobra Biologics is a rapidly expanding international contract manufacturing organization (CMO) of biologics and pharmaceuticals for clinical and commercial supply. Cobra has three good manufacturing practice (GMP) approved facilities, each with expertise tailored to serving our customers across the world. We offer a broad range of integrated and stand-alone contract services, stretching from cell line and process development through to fill and finish for the supply of investigational medicinal products and commercial production.

Experience

For over 15 years, we have taken pride in being a trusted manufacturing provider, delivering what we promise and helping our customers to develop medicines for the benefit of patients. Cobra provides manufacturing technologies, platforms, and solutions to the pharmaceutical industry covering antibodies, recombinant proteins, viruses, phage, DNA, whole cell vaccines, and therapeutics as well as biologics and small molecule API lyophilization and fill–finish.

One rapidly growing service is Cobra’s maxXpress service, which optimizes cell line development using a unique technology that infuses Ubiquitous Chromatin-Opening Element (UCOE, www.cobrabio.com/technology/UCOE.aspx) technology with cell line development expertise to yield increased recombinant protein and antibody production.

Using the Cello™ automated plate handling robotic system from TAP Biosystems (www.tapbiosystems.com) for cell line development enables large scale, rapid clone selection based on factors such as the number of clones per well, clone size and shape. The robotic system is coupled with software that allows complete management of the process and traceability of all liquid handling for each clone.

Finally, Cobra uses Ambr™ microbioreactor technology from TAP Biosystems for evaluation of process parameters. The better monitoring, process control capability, and speed (compared with shake-flask culture or bioreactors) is a significant advantage that allows data on the cells’ behavior and product characteristics to be collected before larger bioreactor studies are initiated. This ensures superior product similarity to that achieved in a large scale bioreactor. Twenty-four different bioreactor conditions can be evaluated in tandem with automated addition/sampling making optimization highly efficient. Clones can be selected from expression studies in batch or fed-batch mode, and expression stability can be evaluated.

Excellence

At Cobra, we recognize the value of transparent and effective communications with our customers. We ensure that we provide regular progress updates as well as responding to our customers’ needs. Large enough to deliver and small enough to care, Cobra dedicates the attention and resources needed with multidisciplinary teams that remain with each program throughout its life. This seamless integration reduces both transfer risk and time delays, thereby increasing customer satisfaction. Delivering the highest quality products on schedule through trusted relationships ensures that our customers come back for further clinical development and production or with new projects.

Come and take a virtual tour of Cobra’s largest monoclonal antibody (mAb) and recombinant protein manufacturing site online at www.cobrabio.com.

About the Author

Author Details
Philip Ridley-Smith is the sales and marketing director for Cobra Biologics, Stephenson Building, The Science Park, Keele ST5 5SP UK; 44-01782-714181; [email protected]; www.cobrabio.com.