Process Analysis

Company Announcements

In November, Atonarp announced that it will supply its miniaturized advanced MS technology to IMA North America, a division of IMA, for aseptic processing and freeze drying solutions. IMA gains exclusive rights to the technology for product freeze drying solutions as a process analytical tool to monitor potential silicon oil contamination, and primary and secondary drying endpoints as well as perform in-line vacuum leak detection.

In November 2017, Emerson withdrew its unsolicited proposal to acquire Rockwell Automation. Rockwell Automation rejected the proposal citing the proposal’s undervaluation of the company and its prospects, as well as long-term risks and weakened competitive position if completed. The proposal represented a 16.8% premium to Rockwell Automation’s closing price prior to the announcement of the offer. The offer was valued at more than $27 billion, according to Reuters.

APIX Analytics, a supplier of GC-based next generation miniaturized gas analyzers, raised nearly €8 million ($10 million) in December 2017 as part of a Series B round.

Product Introductions

Hach launched last fall the Claros Water Intelligence System, which combines connected lab and process instruments to provide valuable insights for water management across data, instruments and process.

In October 2017, Hamilton released a new version of its ArcAir software for its Arc sensors. The software features a single interface for PC and mobile devices, barcode scanning of the pH buffer and conductivity standards, and ability for the sensors to be grouped together.

In January, Micromem Applied Sensor Technologies released the AROMA Tracer Detection fluid tracer analyzer for tracer detection studies in producing oil fields. The technology, exclusively licensed from Entanglement Technologies, combines cavity ring down spectroscopy with unique surface-interaction dependent separation techniques. It features sub-ppb quantitation.

Bioprocess Analysis

Company Announcements

In November 2017, MilliporeSigma signed a memo of understanding with Samsung Biologics for a strategic alliance on biopharmaceutical manufacturing and biologics process development.  The alliance will accelerate process development and clinical materials production at small biotech start-ups focusing on novel drug development for which Samsung Biologics acts as a contract manufacturer. This extends a 2014 long-term supply agreement for raw materials for biopharmaceutical manufacturing.

MilliporeSigma announced in December an agreement with  IPS-Integrated Project Services and G-CON Manufacturing to provide a 2,000 L mAb facility and single-use process technology platform. The project extends MilliporeSigma’s BioReliance End-to-End offering.

Contract discovery, development and manufacturing organization WuXi Biologics and Pall announced in November 2017 the establishment of a joint lab to develop full continuous processing for the manufacturing of mAbs. The three-year project starts with the continuous operation of individual processes, and will gradually expand to downstream processing development and production. The lab will house Pall’s Cadence Integrated Continuous Bioprocess System integrated with its single-use technology platform.

Pall announced in November a partnership with the BioFactory Competence Center in Fribourg, Switzerland, to launch new training courses in early 2018 focused on continuous bioprocessing advances. Pall Life Sciences’ Cadence platform technologies will be used for hands-on training.

In December, biopharmaceutical firm Orgenesis and Pall completed their joint program to develop a commercially viable project process, using viral transduction, for a novel cell therapy for diabetes to support submission of an IND application in the US. The project was supported by funding from the Israel-US Binational Industrial Research and Development Foundation.

Quad Technologies announced in January an exclusive strategic partnership with Sartorius Stedim Biotech to enable availability of a magnetic bead–free T cell activation product.

Product Introductions

In December 2017, Sartorius Stedim Biotech introduced a new version of its SIMCA and SIMCA-online data analytical solutions. New SIMCA features include an intuitive graphical interface and flexibility to handle complex data, such as reworking, splitting and merging. New SIMCA-online features include self-service analytics capability and a new web client.

Sales and Orders of Note

In January, Abzena, which provides services and technologies for developing and manufacturing biopharmaceutical products, selected Sartorius Stedim Biotech as its preferred equipment supplier in the US.