Company Announcements

In November 2018, by mutual accord, Lonza and Sartorius Stedim Biotech (SSB) modified their agreement that had given SSB exclusive sales and marketing rights for certain media and buffers developed by Lonza for use in biopharmaceutical manufacturing processes. Under the new agreement, SSB continues to offer Lonza media and buffers on a nonexclusive basis, and Lonza Pharma & Biotech resumes sales and marketing of all its media products for both manufacturing and research. Also, under the new agreement, SSB will be a preferred supplier for specific Lonza projects.

In January, Sartorius joined the National Institute for Innovation in Manufacturing Biopharmaceuticals in Delaware, a public-private partnership whose members include 71 academic institutions and 44 companies.

Thermo Fisher Scientific opened its first Bioprocess Design Center in Shanghai, China, in November 2018. The 29,063 ft² (2,700 m²) facility houses bioprocessing analytical technologies and equipment in an environment suitable for end-to-end process development.

In December 2018, Pall opened its Biotech Integrated Solutions Center of Excellence (CoE) in Shanghai, China, for bioprocess engineering consultancy, technology demonstration, testing and training. CoE facilities currently exist in Portsmouth, UK, Westborough, US, and Shanghai, with plans for a new European facility.

Product Introductions

In November, Merck KGaA Life Science launched its new BioContinuum Platform for continuous processing, including the expanded Pellicon Single-Pass Tangential Flow Filtration system.

In January, Sartorius Stedim Biotech released the BIOSTAT RM TX single-use bioreactor, a new wave-mixed system developed specifically for closed, automated expansion of consistent quality cell products. It consists of an automated control unit and a up to two rocking platforms to agitate single-use Flexsafe RM TX bags (up to 5 L working volume). The bags include single-use sensors for pH, DO and viable biomass that are integrated in the BIOSTAT B control unit. With culture volumes greater than 500 mL, on-line analysis of viable biomass is also possible by connecting the single-use BioPAT ViaMass sensor.