Germany-based life science group Sartorius is collaborating with biopharmaceutical company Sanofi to develop an end-to-end platform for integrated and continuous downstream bioprocessing.

Selected as a preferred supplier, Sartorius will contribute its engineering and manufacturing expertise to commercialise ICB platforms based on prototypes developed by Sanofi. In return, Sanofi will grant Sartorius exclusive access to its know-how and patents related to the ICB platform.

As part of the collaboration and license agreement, Sartorius will exclusively commercialise the ICB platform offering to customers worldwide.

“Technological innovation is crucial for biopharmaceutical companies to significantly reduce the cost of drug manufacturing - while improving the environmental footprint of their operations – and ultimately getting life-saving drugs to patients faster. As the biologics landscape becomes more diverse, teaming up with Sanofi is an excellent basis for developing a unique modular platform that combines flexibility with the advantages of intensified bioprocessing. This collaboration will help Sartorius to further expand its position as a leading company in the field of integrated and continuous bioprocessing,” said Jan Schäfer, Head of Separation Systems at Sartorius.

Integrated continuous biomanufacturing is an advanced approach to the production of biopharmaceuticals. The concept aims to maximize efficiency by enabling uninterrupted and steady materials flow, as opposed to traditional batch methods, and by integrating multiple unit operations into a lean process setup. ICB reduces the overall process footprint, leading to lower raw material and energy consumption, higher productivity, and less waste.