A Proven, Cost-Effective, Single-Use Powder Transfer Solution

By Scott Patterson, ILC Dover

Single-use transfer technology has been used in biopharma manufacturing for nearly two decades. However, until recently, upstream powder-handling processes haven’t received the attention they need for improvement. Now, the industry is seeing a need for a better way to bring powders to the hydration process and begin upstream biologic manufacturing. That’s where EZ BioPac comes in.

Single-Use Technology Cost Reduction Model

The benefits of EZ BioPac can be tied directly to costs and savings and can be found when the value differential of a disposable bag vs. a stainless steel vessel are examined. Acquiring, implementing, and validating stainless steel equipment can become very expensive, totaling in the millions of dollars. Often, specialized equipment is required for cleaning and sterilization, adding to the cost of investment and making it significantly more expensive, with much more complicated user processes, than a single-use transfer bag.

Finding ways to reduce capital expenditures (CapEx) can result in millions of dollars in cost savings for biologics manufacturers. One popular method in biologics manufacturing is the ballroom strategy, where the manufacturing space is a wide-open room with utility connections placed in strategic areas. However, in this strategy, the processes are configurable by bringing in single-use products. EZ BioPac can be part of the ballroom concept since additional equipment, such as bin lifters, are not needed. Dramatic savings in CapEx are also found in a greatly reduced implementation timeline of these items in the ballroom strategy. The bottom line: facilities are ready for qualification and manufacturing much quicker when using single-use vs. stainless steel process equipment.