Single-Use Platforms Accelerate Viral Vaccine Development And Manufacturing

By Amélie Boulais

Originally pubished in BioProcess International

Analyses of the biopharmaceutical industry predict that the market for vaccines could grow at a compound annual growth rate of as much as 10.3% between 2013 and 2024 (1). This is faster than growth predicted for recombinant proteins and monoclonal antibodies. Although traditional types of vaccines such as conjugated, inactivated, live attenuated, and toxoid vaccines dominate the market today, new generations of vaccines such as recombinant vector vaccines and subunit vaccine candidates dominate preclinical and clinical development phases. This implies that manufacturers are starting to commercialize a new generation of vaccines based on recombinant technology. Sartorius Stedim Biotech (SSB) is investing resources in understanding the future manufacturing needs of the vaccine industry. We are exploring the best ways of implementing single-use platforms for next-generation vaccines that avoid reinventing the wheel for each candidate, thereby reducing time to market, lowering production costs, lowering risks, and increasing flexibility.

In our experience, every vaccine’s process is distinct in one way or another. A vaccine product will have unique characteristics. The cell lines used in manufacturing will introduce their own nuances, and production processes will face individual safety considerations. For this reason, multiple platforms are needed to cover the different vaccine modalities. SSB has begun by developing a platform for viral vector applications. The platform’s predefined technologies can be integrated with one another to allow development and manufacturing of our customers’ vaccines. These technologies are complemented by unique services to support the vaccine company’s product across its entire life cycle.