Fisher and Alfa Laval provide disposable bioprocessing

HyNetics, a joint venture between Alfa Laval and HyClone, have worked together for more than three years in developing the HyNetics single-use mixing technology.

"Our single-use, disposable bioprocessing system will provide Haemacure with significant flexibility at reduced costs when compared to traditional stainless-steel systems, thus increasing efficiency significantly,"​ said Leland Foster, CEO, Fisher Biosciences.

"It eliminates cleaning validations and virtually eliminates the risk of batch-to-batch contamination,"​ said Foster.

Bioprocessing is the action of taking living cells and turning them into manufacturing units.

It is far more complex than the manufacturing processes utilised by traditional chemical pharmaceuticals and covers all aspects of the production process that transform a candidate drug into a biopharmaceutical that is safe for patient use.

The HyNetics single-use mixing technology will be used to produce Haemacure's fibrin-sealant and thrombin products, which are used in biological adhesives and haemostats for acute surgical-wound care.

The manufacture of Haemacure products involves the processing of human plasma, and the HyNetics systems will be used primarily in the critical mixing operation. In the HyNetics system, all of the parts that will come in contact with Haemacure product materials are designed for single use.

"We are extremely pleased with the Haemacure agreement because it further validates the concept of disposable bioprocessing technology,"​ said Bill Brydges, president of Alfa Laval BioKinetics, the company's engineering division.

"Our goal is to provide completely disposable systems for applications throughout the entire bioprocessing stream and we look forward to bringing this technology to the larger biopharmaceutical market,"​ said Foster.