Vaccine production expanding in developing countries

BioProcess International recently took a look at the growing manufacturing demand in developing countries of vaccines. The big four Pharma companies are in control of the majority of the production of vaccines: Sanofi, Merck, GlaxoSmithKline and Pfizer.  With the world wide market valued at $30 billion a year, vaccines are in demand and widely considered a right and often create a healthier public.  As many governments are the only suppliers of healthcare in growing countries, they find the need to be able to produce these products within their borders so that they can reach their citizens.  New technologies are expanding the capabilities making vaccines affordable, quick and feasible in may of these countries.

Why is production in so many countries possible?  According to BioProcess International:
The great majority of those vaccines in the pipeline involve recombinant technologies, with bioprocessing and equipment much the same as for conventional recombinant proteins and antibodies. Vaccines in development include next-generation, follow-on versions of current products as well as new vaccines for diseases without curret available vaccines. Such diseases primarily affect populations in developing countries (e.g., dengue and malaria).

The technologies making this production possible are:
> Single-use/disposable bioprocessing systems, providing easier operation
> Modular/transportable bioprocessing facilities
> Novel expression systems/improved cell lines
> New purification technologies.

Read the full BioProcess International Article here.

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What were the highlights of Biopharmaceutical Development and Production Week?

This past March in San Diego, California, we held the Biopharmaceutical Development and Production Week Event.  For four days, professionals gathered to discuss the latest trends and topics in the bioprocessing field.  The event featured 6 keynote presentations, over 175 speakers, and over 700 attendees.

Check out some of the highlights here:

Missed out on Biopharmaceutical Development and Production Week? We're putting the finishing touches on the BioProcess International Event which will take place this October 20-23 in Boston. To be notified of the latest updates, including the program release, sign up for email updates.

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The safety of raw materials

Raw materials are the heart and soul of any product produced from biopharmacetucials. It's critical to be aware of where the raw materials are coming from and the manufacturing process that was behind them, as this can lead to major, unintended outbreaks through the populations of patients using the end product.  At the Cell Culture Dish, they recently looked at a few ways to improve and maintain the quality of raw materials used in biopharmaceuticals throughout the world.

So what steps can countries and Pharma companies take to ensure the quality of raw materials?

• -Leave animal products out of the manufacturing equation.  These lead to the highest risk of possible contamination
• -There is a lot of pressure to cut corners to bring down the cost of healthcare.  However, there are safe ways to do this during the manufacturing process including improved filtration systems and single use systems.
• -The source of the raw materials needs to be known.  Pharmaceuticals companies should obtain their raw materials from factories and plants that that are regulated by the FEA or EMA

Next month at the Biopharmaceutical Development and Production Event, Kate Bishop Winchester, Manager, Global Biologics MSAT, Cell Culture at Genentech will be on hand to discuss The Impact of Raw Material Variability, Foreign Material and Second Sourcing, covering many of the items discussed in this article.  For more information on this session and the rest of the program, download the agenda.  If you'd like to join us, register to join us toady and mention code BDPJP13 and save 20% off the standard rate.*

*This rate does not apply if you've already registered to join us.

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