The aim is to make it easier to connect Refine’s ATF retention device – which is used by biomanufacturers to remove metabolites and replace media during cell cultivation – to SSB’s Biostat range of single-use bioreactors.
At present Pharmas seeking to connect retention systems and bioreactors have to do so through a process of trial and error according to Thorsten Adams, SSB’s production manager for fermentation technologies, who told inpharmatechnologist.com more about the idea behind the collaboration.
“Refine’s ATF [Alternating tangential flow] system is used by virtually every biopharmaceutical company - at both the developmental stage and during production - to achieve higher cell densities and product titres.
“However, because the technologies [retention and bioreactor] are made by different companies connecting them in the most effective way can be an expensive, time consuming and tedious process.”
Dr Adams explained that SSB's partnership with Refine is designed to eliminate such difficulties by creating an "out of the box solution” that – in combination with an online configuration tool the firms are developing – will streamline the process.
“Since customers will not have to connect the two devices themselves, possibly taking several attempts to find the correct configuration, they will save time and money.”
Additionally, while SSB and Refine will not sell each other’s technologies under the agreement, they will provide combined implementation support services.
This type of partnership – which Adams says is something new in the biomanufacturing technology sector – is something that SSB would consider extending to other companies if the correct opportunity presents itself.
“SSB is always looking to offer customers the best technical solution, “Adams said, adding that “if we see a tech in the market that we think would work well with our technologies we would consider a similar partnership.”
The collaboration – financial terms of which were not disclosed – is one of a number SSB has signed in recent months.
Since June last year the firm has partnered with Sudpak Medica, agreed a biomanufacturing tech licensing deal with GE Healthcare and, just last week, signed a development agreement with G-Con Manufacturing focused on bioprocess design.