Single-Use unit and Process Analytical Infrared Spectroscopy

ended

Biopharmaceuticals are medical drugs typically produced by mammalian cells in so-called bioreactors. It takes on average 10-15 years to bring a new drug to the market. Biomanufacturing costs can account for up to 30% of the overall costs needed to approve a new medicine. Currently, monitoring of bioproduction is mostly performed by using offline equipment that lacks robustness and has a reduced operational flexibility. Bioreactors are increasingly being monitored online and on real-time by means of Process Analytical Technologies (PAT). However, state-of-the-art techniques render both sub-optimal product quality and product efficiency. A few existing technologies based on Raman spectroscopy are highly expensive and probes are not robust enough, requiring consecutive sterilisation steps to be reused (raising water and energy consumption). At IRUBIS GmbH (spin-off of the Technical University of Munich), we have developed SUPAIR, a novel and robust ATR-MIR Sensor System aiming to make online and single-use monitoring of bioreactors by mid-infrared spectroscopy to become standard in the manufacturing of medical drugs. This approach will lead to increased operational flexibility, reduced costs of the manufacturing process, and will accelerate time-to-market of higher quality medicines to the patients. In the course of the Phase 1 project, we have validated our technical and commercial roadmaps through pilot testing with relevant biopharmaceutical players. Now we are getting closer to market, and we expect to conclude all technical developments and lay the ground for a successful market commercialisation by undertaking EIC Accelerator Pilot project.