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As demand for biologics surges, the biopharmaceutical industry is under pressure to increase productivity and flexibility as well as shorten production timelines. At the same time, there is the need to reduce the cost of goods for drugs and lower the manufacturing footprint, both in terms of space and more sustainable use of resources.
Of course, these challenges become valuable opportunities for those who can successfully address them. But they are difficult challenges when relying on traditional methods.
That’s why Process Intensification (PI) is such a vital focus area at present. According to the Bioplan Global Survey 2024, there has been a dramatic 50% increase in evaluations of bioprocess-intensifying technologies since 2020. This comes as no surprise to us at Sartorius: along with our customers and partners, we believe PI is a game-changing strategy to help us intensify and revolutionize biomanufacturing processes to successfully meet current and future challenges.
Simplifying Progress: From Challenge to Opportunity
At heart, PI is a lean approach to deliver more efficient, cost-effective, and sustainable manufacturing processes. And like traditional lean manufacturing, it’s all about developing a highly efficient, connected, and automated end-to-end process that minimizes cost, waste, and downtime.
Within bioprocessing, the right PI approach and technologies can make all the difference:
• Smaller Footprint — PI can shrink facility size by 50–70%, helping you operate efficiently with a reduced footprint in your manufacturing cleanroom, cutting energy consumption and maintenance costs while supporting environmental sustainability goals.
• Accelerated Time to Market — PI techniques can cut down manufacturing timelines significantly, from around four years to two years or less, enabling faster delivery of products to the market.
• Flexibility — The PI approach improves adaptability to different products and scales, letting you respond swiftly to market changes and production needs.
• Increased Productivity — More efficient PI methods can boost productivity by up to three times. For example, by intensifying seed train operations via perfusion.
• Lower Costs — Increasing productivity as above can significantly reduce the cost of goods: Implementing PI in the seed train can result in a 30–50% reduction in cost/g compared to standard fed-batch operations. Also, by minimizing the need for large equipment and extensive facilities, PI lowers upfront investments and mitigates the risks associated with early-stage development.
Big Gains in DSP
Together with our customers, we have used PI technologies to deliver impressive yields in upstream. However, with downstream processes accounting for around 80% of protein manufacturing costs, finding efficiencies in DSP is the next big step for many.
At Sartorius, we offer multiple options that can be combined to achieve intensification in DSP. For example, with our Multi Step Connected Chromatography system, Resolute® BioSC, in combination with Sartobind® Rapid A membrane, one can achieve up to a 10-fold increase in productivity and reduce resin investment by 4-fold.
Process Intensification solutions can be implemented as individual steps to address your most pressing issues. But they can also be part of a bigger vision and help build a true end-to-end process. For example, we are partnering with Sanofi to develop an integrated and continuous downstream biomanufacturing (ICB) platform that can maximize productivity and flexibility while reducing cost and consumption.
We’re in This Together
Whether you start big or small the important thing is to start. Process Intensification is here to stay and you don’t want to be left behind. But rest assured, Sartorius is with you every step of the way.
To discover how PI can help you transform your biomanufacturing processes and hear more about the latest advancements including the ICB platform, join us at our Process Intensification Forum, September 17–19, 2024. Hosted by Sartorius in Göttingen, Germany, the event gathers industry experts and innovators to discuss the strategies and solutions that will shape the future of biopharmaceutical manufacturing.
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Sartorius offers a wide and deep range of applications for process intensification in both upstream and downstream, ranging from high-throughput tools for process development to scalable, flexible manufacturing solutions. Discover our wide range of PI applications and start simplifying your processes today.
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