An environmental life cycle assessment comparison of single-use and conventional bioprocessing technology

Single-use technologies offer an attractive option for biopharmaceutical manufacturing, but their environmental impact needs be considered. This paper documents the findings of a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) study comparing single-use and conventional bioprocessing technology for the production of monoclonal antibodies (MAbs). The study examines the life cycle environmental impacts at 100 L, 500 L, and 2000 L. The results presented focus on the 2000 L production scale. This assessment was reviewed by a third-party review panel. The results demonstrate that the single-use bioprocess train has lower environmental impacts compared to the conventional process train in each environmental impact category studied.