Disposable bags for biopharma
patents on their Celsius line of containers, currently being
launched in Europe and US, that are used in the production of
biopharmaceuticals.
The two US patents (Nos 6,684,646 and 6,698,213) cover the technologies used in Celsius that allow the freezing, storing and thawing biopharmaceutical material. These are the first two patents issued jointly to the two companies since they formed a strategic development and commercialisation partnership two years ago.
The two companies are named co-inventors of the patents, which cover the use of Integrated Biosystems' freeze-thaw technology in single-use, sterile bags and containers developed by Stedim.
There is a drive towards the adoption of disposable technologies in biopharmaceutical production, because it can reduce validation and clean-in-place requirements, lower the requirements for pure water, clean steam and water for injection (WFI), and cut costs.
Thierry Favreau, Stedim's chief executive, noted that Celsius has already been adopted by three major bio-pharmaceutical companies since being launched earlier this year, to decouple their bio-processing operations and improve the management of their supply chain.
For Integrated Biosystems, extending the technology for use with disposable, flexible containers - which the company markets under the brand name Celsius-Pak - gives it access to a larger market.
The company said that the product is now being shipped to customers and that it is gearing up production.
