How To Overcome Biopharmaceutical Manufacturing Challenges Of Personalised Medicines

Watson Marlow 27/04/2021

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– Succeeding beyond the blockbuster

Watson-Marlow Fluid Technology Group launches new opinion piece and webinar discussing the manufacturing challenges of personalised medicines

Global leader in fluid management technology, Watson-Marlow Fluid Technology Group (WMFTG), today launches a new article discussing the biopharmaceutical manufacturing challenges of personalised medicines. The opinion piece features insights from bioprocessing experts at WMFTG, Franz Ziel GmbH, Oxford Biomedica and Gemini Bio.

The company is also hosting a webinar with experts from Oxford Biomedica and Franz Ziel on Wednesday 5^th May discussing the challenges of accelerating personalised medicine production and how the pandemic is driving innovation in bioprocessing. Webinar registration is now open.

Traditionally, the pharmaceutical industry has made most of its profits from small molecule blockbuster drugs. However, in recent years this model has faced major challenges, with high levels of competition in existing markets, the increasingly stringent criteria for drug approvals and greater scrutiny from payers.

We will still see blockbusters reaching the market, particularly in oncology, however pharmaceutical companies are also turning to the lucrative promise of personalised medicines to develop drugs that specifically target certain patient groups and treat currently untreatable patients.

Adoption of personalised medicines varies considerably around the world due to different healthcare systems, relative cost and local GDP. Developed regions such as the US and Europe have traditionally led the way due to the significant investment these precision medicines need for development, their stringent regulatory systems, and the ability of their healthcare systems to afford the high costs associated.

The growth of personalised medicines brings specific biomanufacturing challenges. Whereas small molecule blockbuster drugs used to treat common diseases are often low-cost and produced in high volumes, personalised medicines use smaller batches with high costs per batch.

As maintaining sterility and maximising processing flexibility are key, manufacturers are seeing a dramatic shift towards single-use technologies. The adoption of single-use minimises risk of cross-contamination and allows the same manufacturing facility to be reconfigured for small batches of different medicines.

In this article, experts from WMFTG, Franz Ziel, Oxford Biomedica and Gemini Bio discuss the specific processing challenges that pharmaceutical manufacturers are overcoming in order to produce this new wave of personalised therapies.

The authors discuss the shift towards single-use technologies and the advantages of scaling out production rather than scaling up, with an in-depth look at the benefits of fill-finish automation for Oxford Biomedica’s viral vector production.

Elizabeth Wahl, Strategic Product Manager at Gemini Bio comments in the article, “Put simply, we need to think about how we manufacture these powerful medicines when we are discovering them and can’t wait until the end to start thinking about the final product requirements. By tackling the emerging issues together and establishing clear standards, we are fast approaching the personalised medicine of the future.”

Jim Sanford, Sector Manager, Biopharm Fluid Paths at WMFTG, adds, “Personalised medicine will continue to transform drug development with ongoing advances in genetic and biomarker therapies designed to improve segmented patient care. We have delivered new and innovative single-use products that have been successfully integrated into bioprocess and filling platforms implemented throughout the drug development and manufacturing pipeline, thus changing the customer-supplier relationship.”

Download the article to hear more from these experts as they provide their unique perspectives on manufacturing personalised medicines. Join the webinar at 4pm BST on 5^th May to hear directly from Les Southam, QA Manager, Projects at Oxford Biomedica UK, James Drinkwater, Head of GMP Compliance & Aseptic process integration at Franz Ziel, Peter Birch, Global Business Development Manager, Biopharmaceutical Equipment and Dr Sade Mokuolu, Global Regulatory & Validation Services Manager at WMFTG.

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Watson-Marlow Fluid Technology Solutions

01326370370
info@wmftg.co.uk
https://www.wmfts.com/
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About us

Watson-Marlow Fluid Technology Group (WMFTG) peristaltic tube and hose pumps meet requirements including: value for money; low cost of ownership; reliability and ease of maintenance to the food and beverage, chemical, pharmaceutical, mining and many other industries.

We demonstrate how pumps deliver significant process efficiencies over the lifetime of the equipment. Whether performing flavouring addition in food processing, chemical metering in water treatment or mineral recovery, we have a solution which can cut pump downtime and reduce costs through higher accuracy metering and transfer. WMFTG has dedicated application engineers available to help customers make the right pump and tubing choice from a range providing microlitres per minute to 80 cubic metres per hour flow rates.

The only part of the pump to come into contact with the product is the tube or hose. This means there are no seals or valves that can wear or fail. Replacing the tube or hose can be performed quickly and safely. Peristaltic pump benefits include:

Total fluid containment with no seals No ancillaries Handle viscous and abrasive slurries and sludge Self-priming capability Dry running without damage to the pump In addition to their range of positive displacement pumps, Watson-Marlow Fluid Technology Group has added PTFE-lined chemical and industrial hoses to their range. Aflex hoses are reinforced to withstand the most severe conditions and use.

Where we supply to

Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, South America, North America

Industries we supply to

Automation, Chemicals, Consultants, Components Electronics, Energy and Power, Food and Beverage, Glass Ceramics Cement, Metals and Minerals, OEM, Paper and Pulp, Pharmaceutical Cosmetics Toiletries, Plastics and Rubber, Recycling, Textiles, Tobacco, Water and Wastewater

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