New Cellevate Nanofiber Microcarriers Aim to Transform Vaccine Manufacturing Processes

Swedish biotech company Cellevate plans to unveil its new Cellevat3d VAX nanofiber microcarriers at the World Vaccine Congress Europe in Amsterdam, being held Oct. 14–16, 2025. The company’s new nanofiber microcarriers is a technology that could significantly improve the scalability and cost-efficiency of adherent cell-based viral vaccine production, the company said in an Oct. 13, 2025 press release (1).

According to the data to be presented at the event, the technology has achieved a 13-fold increase in infectious viral vaccine titers in Vero cell cultures, compared with industry-standard microcarriers, and an 11.4-fold increase in enterovirus vaccine titers in HEK293T cell cultures. These data were confirmed in an independent study by Intravacc, a contract development and manufacturing organization in the Netherlands (1).

These results suggest that nanofiber-based microcarriers may offer a major advancement in upstream vaccine manufacturing, where yield, process consistency, and scalability remain persistent challenges (1,2).

How does this technology improve scalability and efficiency in viral vaccine production?

Adherent cell culture systems remain central to viral vaccine manufacturing, but current methods—such as bead-based microcarriers, roller bottles, cell stacks, and fixed-bed bioreactors—often face limitations in scalability and process control, Cellevate noted in the press release (1). Cellevat3d VAX microcarriers are based on sustainable, cellulose-derived nanofibers that support the growth of adherent cells in conventional stirred-tank bioreactors, which enables the formation of homogeneous, high-density three-dimensional spheroid cultures.

The company explained that this configuration allows for more efficient virus propagation, higher cell-specific viral productivity, and seamless transfer from laboratory to large-scale manufacturing. The company also reported that its approach could reduce production costs for viral vaccines by as much as 85% compared to current industry-standard methods (1).

“The key challenges in vaccine manufacturing are to bring new vaccines to the market faster and at lower production costs, only achievable through implementation of disruptive technologies,” said Laura Chirica, CEO, Cellevate, in the release (1). “With more than 13-fold increase in viral vaccine titers, Cellevat3d VAX nanofiber microcarriers have the potential to transform the way viral vaccines are manufactured and to accelerate vaccine development and patient access.”

What does the introduction of this new technology mean for biomanufacturing and biopharma development?

The introduction of nanofiber-based microcarriers represents a broader shift in how the biopharmaceutical industry approaches adherent cell culture and viral vector production. As vaccine developers and contract manufacturers seek to meet growing global demand while maintaining cost efficiency, new scalable technologies like this one could play a critical role in improving manufacturing robustness and accelerating development timelines (1).

“With this new product launch, Cellevate demonstrates the versatility of its next-generation, nanofiber-based microcarrier platform across all areas of adherent cell cultivation,” said Uwe Gottschalk, PhD, chairman of the board, Cellevate, in the release. “Breakthrough medicine requires breakthrough innovations in biomanufacturing and Cellevate will keep delivering on that paradigm.”

The company’s Cellevat3d nanofiber technology underpins a platform designed to enhance surface area for cell growth and improve reproducibility and scalability across a range of biologics manufacturing applications, including cell and gene therapies and next-generation vaccines.

As the industry continues to evolve toward more flexible, cost-effective production models, advances such as these could help bridge the gap between laboratory-scale research and full-scale vaccine manufacturing, supporting both faster response to emerging pathogens and more accessible biopharmaceutical production worldwide (1).

References

1. Cellevate. Cellevate to Announce Major Advances in Yield and Scalability of Viral Vaccine Production at World Vaccine Congress Europe with Global Launch of Cellevat3d VAX Nanofiber Microcarriers. Press Release. Oct. 13, 2025.
2. Hassan, H. A. F. M.; Haider, M.; Fahmy, S. A.; From Antigen Uptake to Immune Modulation: The Multifaceted Potential of Peptide Nanofibers as Vaccine Nanocarriers. Mater. Adv. 2024, 5, 4112–4130. DOI: 10.1039/D4MA00075G