Sartorius AG (Germany) - Press Release: Sartorius and Repligen Corporation Launch Integrated System with Biostat STR® and XCell® ATF for Upstream Process Intensification

• Bioreactor and cell retention technology integration features a single direct control interface to simplify intensified seed train implementation.
• Customers experience optimized facility equipment installation, footprint, and maintenance requirements.

The life science group Sartorius and Repligen Corporation today announced the launch of an integrated bioreactor system that incorporates Repligen XCell® ATF upstream intensification technology into Sartorius’ Biostat STR® bioreactor, simplifying intensified seed train and N perfusion implementation for biopharmaceutical manufacturers. The Biostat STR® now contains a fully compatible embedded XCell® ATF hardware and software module offering predefined advanced control recipes with integrated Process Analytical Technology (PAT). This system gives users a streamlined way to control cell growth and improve cell retention in perfusion processes without using a separate cell retention control tower.

In addition, customers can better utilize facility space with a reduced equipment footprint from the incorporation of the XCell® Controller hardware and software in the Biobrain® automation platform, creating a single point of control for 50 L – 2000 L upstream intensification processes. The single, integrated controller provides easy integration into Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) and Distributed Control Systems (DCS).

“The market introduction of this integrated bioreactor–intensification system created in partnership with Repligen further reinforces Sartorius’ commitment to being an innovator in process intensification and demonstrates our expertise in upstream processing technologies,” said Mario Becker, Head of Product Group Bioreactor Technologies, Sartorius. “Ultimately, our goal is to help customers bring more therapeutics to patients faster, and this launch advances our journey along that path to enable continuous manufacturing.”

Customers are now able to easily purchase the integrated system from Sartorius, with available pretested and predefined configurations, resulting in faster delivery times than engineered-to-order solutions.

Christine Gebski, Senior Vice President Filtration & Chromatography at Repligen, said, “It’s been our pleasure to partner with Sartorius on this program and to share this milestone achievement. The successful pairing of our market-leading XCell® ATF intensification control technology with Sartorius’ single-use bioreactors provides end users with a simplified, easy-to-implement perfusion-enabled bioreactor solution for more efficient, higher density cell culture processes.”

This new integrated product offering builds on Sartorius and Repligen Corporation’s aligned missions to enable the development of new and better therapies and more affordable medicine through expertise and collaboration.