Vaccines

Continuous Cell Lines (CCLs) have played a major role in developing a secure and efficient biotherapeutics and vaccines since the 1970s. Consequently, the need for more advanced and sustainable technologies to streamline vaccine development and manufacturing procedures has increased. A pivotal distinction inherent in vaccine production, as opposed to other biopharmaceuticals, is the paramount concern for biosafety when handling pathogens and pathogenic antigens.

In today’s ever-evolving digital landscape, there is an exponential surge in demand for vaccine products. These skyrocketing requirements have compelled the exploration and development of diverse methodologies for the robust production of antigenic proteins.  Historically, viruses were cultivated in embryonated hen’s eggs; however, this approach is marred by a multitude of limitations. These constraints encompass challenges in sourcing consistently high-quality, pathogen-free eggs and achieving substantial titers for emerging viruses. Subsequently, continuous cell lines are emerging as the preeminent choice in this domain. The adoption of cell culture systems offers a versatile and scalable platform positioned to supersede traditional methods. Notably, this technology leverages existing biopharmaceutical infrastructure, conferring substantial advantages in vaccine manufacturing.

However, the cell-based manufacturing process carries certain disadvantages, particularly when it comes to optimizing these processes:

• The utilization of cell-based techniques often results in comparatively higher manufacturing costs. It potentially leads to the production of more costly vaccines. These traditional methods typically yield a lesser quantity of viruses for vaccine production.
• Cell-based virus production yields significantly lower volumetric outputs when compared to the egg-based counterpart. This necessitates the utilization of substantially larger bioreactors and entails an increased capital investment for the production plant.
• Particularly when adherent cell culture processes are employed for vaccine production, the cell-based vaccine production method is inefficient and has limited scalability.

Cell culture processes are the foundation of modern biomanufacturing. It makes it possible to produce a variety of biopharmaceuticals, such as cellular therapies, monoclonal vaccines, and vaccinations. These procedures entail the growth of cells in bioreactors or other controlled settings, whether they are adherent or in suspension.

The key to optimizing these processes is achieving the ideal balance between cell growth, protein expression, and product quality. Advances in bioreactor technology, such as the innovative CellBRx® bioreactors, have been instrumental in enhancing the efficiency and scalability of cell culture processes, addressing some challenges associated with traditional methods.

The CellBRx® bioreactor systems are purposefully engineered to facilitate large-scale and cost-effective adherent cell culture based vaccine development. The integration of Dynamic Bed Reactor (DBR) technology within CellBRx® bioreactors confers distinct advantages for vaccine production over conventional methodologies such as roller bottles, cell factories, packed bed, and microcarrier-based bioreactors.

Among the anchorage-dependent cell lines currently undergoing evaluation within CellBRx® bioreactors for vaccine and virus development are:

For an in-depth exploration of the potential of CellBRx® bioreactors in vaccine manufacturing, click here.