Membrane proteins such as hERG (human Ether-a-go-go Related Gene) and GPCRs (G-protein-coupled receptors) have been widely used as favorite targets for discovery of therapeutic drugs to treat cardiac arrhythmia, diabetes, epilepsy, cancer, glaucoma and many other indications. They are also widely used in cell-based assays to test new pharmaceuticals for safety in the early stages of drug discovery…
Tag: <span>disposable bioreactor</span>
Biopharmaceutical manufacturers are constantly seeking new ways to lower production costs, while simultaneously increasing cost effectiveness without sacrificing quality. The U.S. biotech industry has grown from $8 billion in 1992 to $30 billion in 2002. As productivity in biopharmaceutical manufacturing has increased, pressures to contain costs have mounted in the healthcare industry, coupled with increased demands by investors, which results in increased cost containment pressures on the industry as a whole. Some biotechnology products need to be produced in large quantities (hundreds of kilograms per year) to meet both current and expected demand. This requires significant manufacturing capacity, and makes the types of incremental process improvements commonly sought in chemical pharmaceutical processing an attractive proposition for biopharmaceutical manufacturing…
Single-use, disposable components offer many advantages in the manufacturing of biologics. They are clean and ready to use when supplied, which obviates the need for sterilization and decreases the requirement for services such as water for irrigation (WFI) systems and steam generators. Disposable components are not used for subsequent operations, eliminating the chance of cross contamination between process runs. Long lead times for equipment installation can be avoided because the need for stainless steel equipment is reduced or eliminated. Systems are less complex, therefore engineering requirements are also reduced. There is no need for clean-in-place (CIP) or steam-in-place (SIP) operations, along with the associated piping, valves, controls, or pressure rating of vessels. Moreover, the use of disposable components reduces the complexity of validation…