Grace says silica-packed mAb capture columns can cut costs 60%
The new columns – branded as the Provance range - use a silica-based resin that has both cheaper to make and has higher monoclonal antibody (mAb) capture capacity than ‘traditional’ agarose materials used in downstream processing according to the Maryland, US firm.
Company spokesman Rich Badmington told BioPharma-Reporter.com that: “The silica has been optimized for purification of mAbs with high phase levels of protein A.
“ProVance resin maintains optimal flow without degradation from pressure,” he added contrasting this with agarose resins that “degrade under pressure, with a resulting decrease in flow and performance.”
Badmington added that: “ProVance has been demonstrated to have a higher hlgG binding capacity, >93% vs. 91%, but the main advantage is a 40-60% lower operating cost and lower processing time, which significantly improves productivity and downstream processing.”
He also stressed the potential safety and quality advantages offered by Grace’s silica packed columns, arguing that because they “are priced and designed to be used for a single purification campaign and then disposed of. By eliminating the need to wash and reuse columns, the risk of contamination is reduced.”
Disposability
The new tech’s disposability was also highlighted by company VP of discovery sciences, Adam Grose, who said: “Increasingly, biotech companies have been adopting disposable manufacturing solutions in the early stages of the drug development process to reduce development time and capital investments.”
