Astrea unveils nanofiber-based lentivirus purification tech at BWB

Astrea Bioseparations developed and launched Nereus LentiHERO in just 180 days and says the nanofiber-based technology radically transforms lentivirus purification.

Bioseparation products and services firm Astrea celebrated the launch of Nereus LentiHERO at Biotech Week Boston in September at a crowded booth on the show floor.

The lentiviral vector (LVV) purification tech incorporates AstreAdept, the firm’s proprietary nanofiber material, which addresses the challenges associated with purifying the large and fragile products used in cell and gene therapy.

Marc Hummersone, senior director of R&D, Astrea Bioseparations, described the product as “market disrupting” in an interview with BioProcess Insider.

“We are disruptors. We have delivered this product by disrupting our own processes as well, and we have done this in around about 180 days. That’s an amazing, phenomenal, delivery cycle, but it’s the first of many,” he said.

“We can move incredibly fast and we will do to deliver the next product, both in other areas of cell and gene, and at different scales as well […] That’s the edge we have: as well as the technology, it’s about speed.

“We’re a small enough organization to be able to change direction and think about things very quickly and move very, very fast. At the same time, we have a team of experts who are disruptors. We don’t follow the rulebook; we work out the quickest way to get from zero to product and we do it.”

The full interview is below: