February 12th 2025
Personalized medicine is a trend that continues to impact innovation and business decisions in the biopharma industry.
The evolution of therapeutic modalities drives the adoption of single-use technologies.
Disposable Biopharmaceutical Processes–Myth or Reality?
November 2nd 2006Biopharmaceutical processes typically require a significant investment in equipment-often a substantial obstacle for start-up companies. The risk of drug development failure is often high, further limiting access to the required capital. Flexibility and lower capital outlays are required not only by start-up companies, but also by research organizations with multiple product lines and by companies requiring quick capacity increases. Disposable technologies offer the highest potential for these companies to meet their business requirements. With lower capital requirements and increased flexibility, disposables are an important part of these companies' risk management strategy.
Properties of Materials Used in Single-Use Flexible Containers: Requirements and Analysis
November 2nd 2006The adoption of single-use containers in the biopharmaceutical industry is becoming more frequent as the popularity and availability of the technologies increase. The choice of a solution for storage in single-use containers clearly depends on the application and the inherent risks associated with the application. A "one fits all" single-use system cannot respond to all the requirements of a particular step in a biopharmaceutical process, much less to all the steps of a process. The needs of an application will lead to very specific single-use solutions.
Successful Project Management for Implementing Single-Use Bioprocessing Systems
November 2nd 2006In its early days, the biotech industry was almost entirely science driven, but it has since expanded from a laboratory environment to a sophisticated and dynamic manufacturing environment. As technological discoveries are increasingly translated into commercial products, biotech companies are realizing that they must generate a stronger return on assets.
Designing a Shorter Vertical Leg for Sanitary Steam Traps
September 1st 2006Steam traps are part of a steam-in-place system. The current design allots 18 in. of vertical leg for condensate backup. A design with a sensitive bellows has been proven in laboratory tests to need only 6 in. of vertical leg during the 15 min. of 121?C sterilization. Loads of 1 to 27 lb/h are covered by the capability of the new trap, equivalent to required steam for vessels 20 to 40,000 L.
Applying Process Analytical Technology to Biotech Unit Operations
August 1st 2006Case studies were run to test Process Analytical Technology applications for protein refolding, diafiltration, and cation exchange chromatography. It is shown that it is feasible to design control schemes that rely on measurement of product quality attributes and thereby enable real-time decisions.
Final Word: Using Molecular Tools for Biopharmaceutical Quality Control and Plasmid DNA
July 1st 2006For decades now, it has been said that "the process is the product" for biologics. Great care and consistency must be applied in their upstream manufacture-during fermentation, harvest, and early purification-to preserve their complex structure, which confers their activity and specificity. As the product moves to late-stage purification, however, the relative concentration of impurities and altered product forms is diminished. Also, the final dosage form of most large molecule biopharmaceuticals is the relatively simple liquid formulation of parenteral dosage form. In contrast, manufacturing the solid dosage forms common for small-molecule drugs involves more complex processes, such as mixing dry powders, granulation, manufacturing controlled-release matrices, and tableting.
From the Editor in Chief: A Shot In The Arm
July 1st 2006The approvals of two groundbreaking vaccines in the last month is encouraging news. Vaccines have long been undervalued because they haven't been as profitable as other pharmaceuticals. So it's good to see them getting deserved attention that goes beyond fears of flu outbreaks.