SUPAIR Spectroscopy: Single-Use Process Analytical Infrared Spectroscopy

ended

The biopharmaceutical industry is poised to reach an impressive market size of more than €300 billion by 2025. The production of biologic drugs is usually performed by cultivating mammalian cells within bioreactors. Those reactors are increasingly being monitored online by means of Process Analytical Technologies (PAT). However state-of-the-art techniques render both sub-optimal product quality and product efficiency. A complete mid-infrared (MIR) spectroscopy system using online Attenuated Total Reflectance (ATR) probes is highly expensive costing around €200,000, €20,000 only for the probes that are not robust enough, requiring consecutive sterilization to be reused (raising water and energy consumption). IRUBIS GmbH team goal is to make online monitoring of (single-use) bioreactors affordable. IRUBIS innovation comprises a single-use patent-pending silicon ATR crystal integrated in a single-use ATR Flow Cell which is read out by a compact Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) Spectrometer. IRUBIS Analytical Technology offers a system that will allow for the first time real-time process control (online) in single-use bioreactors. This means a flexible, highly automated system solution that costs half the price of the competing solutions. Furthermore, it eliminates sterilization requirements allowing for important energy savings. IRUBIS has been awarded an accelerator program promoted by Merck; Company recent merits also include the Medical valley award (€500,000) and the Exist scholarship (€150,000). Our business model will be based in two revenue streams: B2B direct sales of developed IRUBIS optical sensors to biopharma companies and sales through partnerships with distributors. The feasibility study we will carry out under this SME Phase 1 project, will define the technical, market and commercial roadmap allowing to offer customers a higher value product.