Targeting immune checkpoints such as the PD-1 PD-L1 pathway has proven in recent years to be an effective treatment approach resulting in a range of approved mAbs that bind PD-1 or its ligand PD-L1. In this application note, we discuss our recently developed assay format to characterize checkpoint inhibitor mAbs, specifically discussing those that target the PD-1 PD-L1 pathway.

How do you find the initial capital and attract new investors to hit your milestones and stay solvent? Experts share their experiences and offer advice for companies on the path towards bringing a potentially life-changing therapy to patients.

In the race to create serum-free, chemically defined media, research efforts have focused on identifying the elements required for superior growth performance. This include growth factors, hormones, carrier proteins, lipids, transition metals, vitamins, polyamines, and adhesion factors. This application note describes 4Cell® NutriVero™ Flex 10, a new Vero cell medium that is serum-free, chemically defined, and animal component-free. 4Cell® NutriVero™ Flex 10 delivers performance that matches conventional media with undefined hydrolysate supplementation.

Competitive commercial CHO processes demand a balanced combination of media, process and production clone to achieve optimal performance. The aim of this study was to apply a multi-scale approach to efficiently screen combinations of chemically defined commercial media and various CHO production clones using benchtop bioreactor systems.

BHK-21 cell strains have been utilized for several years as a platform for veterinary vaccines and recombinant protein manufacturing. However, these cells are anchorage-dependent, requiring the use of dissociation agents that slow and are traumatic for cells while also creating scale-up limitations. In this study, we successfully adapted anchorage serum-dependent BHK-21 cells to suspension in a chemically defined (CD), serum-free, Sartorius medium.

This study focuses on the running costs and carbon emissions associated with cryopreservation equipment, comparing a liquid nitrogen (LN₂)-free controlled-rate freezer with a typical liquid nitrogen-based system. The environmental implications of using liquid nitrogen for cell freezing are explored along with carbon emissions during the manufacture, transportation, and operation of LN₂-free controlled-rate freezers.

This guide summarizes the science of thawing following conventional, slow freezing methods. We address how cell thawing has historically developed into the techniques used today, along with the physical and biological implications of key metrics and components, such as warming rate and ice structure. Also included are reviews of key studies from scientific literature and a consideration of the interactions between cooling and warming rates, as applicable to cell and gene therapies.

A biopharma company’s experimental records, recipes and scientific results were stored in multiple Excel files, scanned PDF documents and siloed lab solutions, many of which did not use the same conventions from lab to lab or scientist to scientist. disconnects were leading to additional lab work at late stages, workflow inefficiencies, long review times, delayed decisions, excessive effort and wasted material. They needed to implement a common solution across all CMC labs and for all therapeutic modalities—both small molecules and biologics.

Inefficient lab workflows and poor visibility across research data was threatening to jeopardize clinical programs, from discovery to registration and beyond for a biotechnology company. They needed to replace their legacy, paper-based processes with an entirely digitalized lab environment that supported the innovation lifecycle from target identification to compound discovery and process development.

A biopharma company that supports drug discovery activities had been using a legacy plug-in to Microsoft® Excel® spreadsheet software for performing scientific data aggregation, analysis and presentation. While the legacy spreadsheet tool was flexible, it was also slow. With the amount of data growing year after year, scientists had come to accept the inevitability of some queries taking up to 3 hours to process. By implementing a faster, more purpose-built tool running BIOVIA Pipeline Pilot protocols in Microsoft Excel spreadsheets the company has much more than simple spreadsheet capabilities.