Separation & purification

Univercells part of Gates-backed group trying to cut polio vaccine cost

16-Dec-2016 By Gareth Macdonald

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has granted Univercells $12m (€12.5m) to develop a vaccine manufacturing platform that lowers production costs.

update

Sugar lumps? Excipient impurities may be risk to patients says researcher

14-Dec-2016 By Gareth Macdonald

Newly identified impurities in sugar excipients pose a risk to patients and could explain why some drugs fail safety tests according to scientists from the Netherlands.

Sanofi and Merck & Co team with Natrix on 'truly disposable' Protein A platform

07-Dec-2016 By Dan Stanton

Sanofi, Merck & Co. and downstream technology firm Natrix have teamed to develop a chromatography system with a productivity level capable to enable a fully-integrated downstream platform.

GSK extends single-use purification tech R&D deal with Puridify

06-Dec-2016 By Dan Stanton

The development partnership has been extended as GlaxoSmithKline looks to make clinical trial scale batches using Puridify’s Protein A alternative to packed bed chromatography columns.

Takeda building Dengue fever vaccine plant

01-Dec-2016 By Gareth Macdonald

Takeda has started work on a vaccine plant to make its candidate Dengue fever virus vaccine, TAK-003.

Cook and Asymptote to launch water-free automated cell thawing tech

30-Nov-2016 By Dan Stanton

An automated system co-developed with Cook Regenetec offers a more controlled and repeatable method of thawing cell and gene therapies than traditional techniques, says Asymptote.

Lyophilised biologic reconstitution IP up for grabs after XstalBio folds

22-Nov-2016 By Staff Reporter

A technology developed to reduce time and increase safety when reconstituting lyophilised biologics has been put for up for sale after XstalBio's insolvency.

One down, five to go: Autolus takes space at UK cell & gene therapy centre

22-Nov-2016 By Dan Stanton

T-cell immunotherapy firm Autolus has become the first tenant at the Cell and Gene Therapy (CGT) Catapult manufacturing facility in the UK.

Novasep eyes Japan's bioprocessing market with chromatography BD contract

18-Nov-2016 By Dan Stanton

Novasep has expanded a partnership with AR Brown to supply its chromatography equipment to Japanese biomanufacturers.

Repligen: resin recovery feature a ‘differentiator’ in chromatography space

08-Nov-2016 By Dan Stanton

A resin recovery feature being added to its larger prefilled chromatography columns offers an ‘insurance policy’ for drugmakers, says Repligen.

Nordic Nanovector ASA signs second ADC deal in a month

28-Oct-2016 By Gareth Macdonald

Nordic Nanovector ASA and Heidelberg Pharma GmbH will develop antibody drug conjugate (ADC) treatments for leukaemias under a deal agreed this week.

Biotech Week Boston

Repligen launches single-use version of its cell retention tech

14-Oct-2016 By Dan Stanton

Repligen has launched a single-use version of its XCell ATF cell retention system which can reduce implementation costs by as much as 55% compared to its stainless steel equivalent.

Danaher set to buy purification consumables firm Phenomenex

12-Oct-2016 By Dan Stanton

Danaher Corporation will further extend its presence in the life sciences space through the acquisition of separations and purification firm Phenomenex.

Industry recognises continuous downstream tech at CPhI and Biotech Week

07-Oct-2016 By Dan Stanton

The conservatism of the biotech industry held back adoption of continuous manufacturing tech but this is now changing says Novasep, winner of the CPhI bioprocessing award.

BPI Boston

Continuous bioprocessing next logical step after single-use adoption, Pall

06-Oct-2016 By Dan Stanton

The strong adoption of single-use technology is enabling industry to transition towards continuous bioprocessing systems, says Pall Corporation.

Sartorius Stedim Biotech adds PESU membranes to benchtop filtration techs

04-Oct-2016 By Staff reporter

Sartorius Stedim Biotech (SSB) claims benchtop vaccine and protein purification techs could save developers €2000 per batch and reduce processing time by 60%.

GE opens Korean tech training centre to support blossoming biopharma industry

30-Sep-2016 By Dan Stanton

GE Healthcare has opened a $7.4m bioprocessing technology and training centre on the back of South Korea’s commitment to the biosimilar and biomanufacturing industries.

Advocacy group criticises EC's plan for stand-alone cell & gene therapy GMP doc

30-Sep-2016 By Dan Stanton

European stand-alone guidelines for the manufacture of Advanced Therapy Medicine Product (ATMP) could lead to disparities in GMP standards, says the Alliance for Regenerative Medicine.

Pharma 2020 has activated Russian biomanufacturing tech market says GE Healthcare

23-Sep-2016 By Gareth Macdonald

Government efforts to encourage local drug production have “activated” the Russian biomanufacturing technology market according to GE Healthcare.

Innova launches 'conjugation compatible' antibody purification system

21-Sep-2016 By Dan Stanton

Innova Biosciences says its AbPure Protein A-based system removes the need to undergo an additional step when purifying antibody in preparation for conjugation

MilliporeSigma to use gene editing to make more cell lines resistant to viruses

16-Sep-2016 By Gareth Macdonald

MilliporeSigma plans to use gene editing to help developers make cell lines resistant to viruses that cost manufacturers millions in contaminated products.

Customisable chromatography resin maker Avitide boosted by Series D funding

14-Sep-2016 By Dan Stanton

Custom-made affinity resins can offer biomanufacturers flexibility and shorten development timelines says Avitide, fresh from securing Series D financing from Mithril Capital Management.

INFOGRAPHIC

The future of the biopharma industry: emerging markets and biosimilars

07-Sep-2016 By Dan Stanton

China and India are the most important growth markets for biopharmaceutical manufacturers, according to our state of the industry survey.

Streamlined Protein A production will lower costs for mAb makers, Purolite

02-Sep-2016 By Dan Stanton

Welsh chromatography resin maker Purolite says it aims to capture 30% of the Protein A market through its 100,000L facility on track to open next year.

Cost pressures turning pharma towards automation tech, says Zenith

23-Aug-2016 By Dan Stanton

Increased cost pressures and a shift to biologics manufacturing are driving demand for automation technologies, says Zenith which is opening two offices in the US.

EMA says biologics developers need to be extra vigilant

19-Aug-2016 By Gareth Macdonald

Biologics developers need to be more vigilant about immunogenicity and manufacturing changes than small molecule drug manufacturers according to the EMA.

Novartis invests €100m to boost mAb production 70% at French biologics site

12-Aug-2016 By Dan Stanton

Novartis has recruited Jacobs to undertake a €100m expansion at a French biomanufacturing facility which will add a second purification line and several cell culture bioreactors.

Single-use vendors will continue benefiting from Biopharma demand, expert

10-Aug-2016 By Dan Stanton

Vendors have again reported high growth in sales of single-use systems and according to Eric Langer from BioPlan Associates this trend is set to continue.

Merck confirms plan to close sites in US, Brazil and Japan

Merck trims network to realise Sigma-Aldrich production synergies

09-Aug-2016 By Dan Stanton

Germany’s Merck has earmarked four facilities for closure and says it is evaluating others, following its acquisition last year of Sigma-Aldrich.

update

US FDA raises concerns about Alexion's Rhode Island Soliris facility

09-Aug-2016 By Gareth Macdonald

The US FDA has identified quality problems at a Smithfield, Rhode Island plant where Alexion makes the immunosuppressant Soliris (eculizumab) and other products.

Continuous production the 'hottest trend in biopharma,' says LEWA

05-Aug-2016 By Dan Stanton

Continuous manufacturing can reduce costs and is already being pursued by CMOs looking to increase productivity by up to 30%, says fluid processing tech firm LEWA.

Biopharma reliant on 'try before you buy' model say CAPEX heavy vendors

02-Aug-2016 By Dan Stanton

Investing in facilities that allow customers to test biomanufacturing equipment and processes is both cost-effective and necessary due to Biopharma's regulatory demands, say Merck, Pall and GE.

Single-use, manifold benefits: Parker adds UK production capacity for bioprocessing tech

29-Jul-2016 By Gareth Macdonald

Parker domnick hunter has added manufacturing capacity at its facility in Birtley, UK to better supply European biopharmaceutical industry customers.

Thermo Fisher: ‘Biopharma’s drive for efficiency plays into our sweet spot’

29-Jul-2016 By Dan Stanton

Increased biologics both on the market and in development and demand for greater manufacturing efficiencies have led to another strong quarter for Thermo Fisher.

Single-use driving double digit growth for Pall and Sartorius

26-Jul-2016 By Dan Stanton

Bioprocess equipment vendors Pall and Sartorius have each cited demand for single-use technologies as a growth driver in the first half 2016.

GE Healthcare eyeing more cell and gene therapy production tech supplier takeovers

18-Jul-2016 By Gareth Macdonald

GE Healthcare has hinted that more gene and cell therapy acquisitions will follow its takeover of the Biosafe Group.

MAb characterisation course could reskill small molecule API workers, NIBRT

24-Jun-2016 By Dan Stanton

Interested in moving from small to large molecule manufacturing? An upcoming course will address mAb characterisation challenges and offer hands-on experience for small molecule manufacturers , says NIBRT, Ireland’s biomanufacturing training centre.

Adaptimmune inks 10-year deal with Thermo Fisher for T Cell expansion tech

21-Jun-2016 By Staff Reporter

Adaptimmune has entered into a new 10-year development and supply agreement for use of thermos Fisher’s Dynabeads CD3/CD28 CTS T-cell isolation, activation and expansion technology.

Sartorius: Upstream filter offers 'virus insurance' for biomanufacturers

15-Jun-2016 By Dan Stanton

Virus filters have traditionally been used in downstream processes, but Sartorius’s Virosart Media for upstream is a gamechanger, the firm says.

BIO 2016

Technology, not capacity, driving Catalent’s biologics strategy

14-Jun-2016 By Dan Stanton

Differentiated technologies buoyed by the recent $600m conjugation deal with Roche is driving Catalent’s biologics business, the firm told Biopharma-Reporter at BIO.

Downstream test facility set to address scale-up issues and keep investment in UK

31-May-2016 By Dan Stanton

A downstream centre in Scotland will allow local biotechs to test product scale-up without outsourcing overseas, while complementing other Government-funded bioprocessing projects in the UK.

Repligen raising $100m may signal more M&A activity to come

24-May-2016 By Dan Stanton

An offering of $100m of convertible notes expected to close today could be used to fund future acquisitions, according to Repligen.

New technique creates 'nearly pure drug' for injection

19-May-2016 By Melissa Fassbender

Researchers have developed an “easy-to-adopt” process for removing excess additives from injectable drugs.

Repligen to expand chromatography column production capacity in US and Europe

10-May-2016 By Dan Stanton

Repligen says it intends to build out a recently acquired German facility to support its European downstream technologies presence.

Merck to expand Cali viral and gene therapy plant

06-May-2016 By Gareth Macdonald

Germany's Merck has announced its intention to expand its viral and gene therapy production facility in Carlsbad, California.

Pall on the 'next wave' of sonic separation

05-May-2016 By Melissa Fassbender

Pall Life Sciences recently announced its Cadence Acoustic Separator (CAS) for clarifying biologic products in a single-use format.

BPI Europe 2016

Pall: Bioprocessing's future is made of virtual reality

27-Apr-2016 By Dan Stanton

Pall Corporation has embraced a virtual reality platform to showcase some of its bioprocessing systems at industry shows.

Merck opens €55m Irish plants supporting downstream consumables business

26-Apr-2016 By Dan Stanton

Germany’s Merck has opened a chromatography media facility as part of a €55m investment in Ireland supporting growing demand for its Protein A resin.

Dispatches from BPI Europe 2016

Roche: Bispecific and complex mAbs driving process development

12-Apr-2016 By Dan Stanton

The increasing complexity of biopharmaceuticals is driving process development innovation according to Swiss drug firm Roche.

GE and Zenith collaborate on bioprocessing automation

05-Apr-2016 By Dan Stanton

GE has teamed up with Zenith Technologies to implement automation across its single-use and modular bioprocessing technologies.