bioProcessUK spotlight: Astrea Bioseparations

In the lead up to the 20th annual bioProcessUK conference, ‘New frontiers in bioprocessing in the next two decades’, on 28 – 30 November 2023 in Brighton, Daniella Steel, Senior Manager, Product Strategy at Astrea Bioseparations, discusses efficient downstream processing of viral vectors, extracellular vesicles, and nucleic acid targets with next-generation nanofiber technology.

The need for a bioprocessing revolution

Bioprocessing is the cornerstone of many therapeutic advancements, particularly in the field of cell and gene therapy. Over the years, this domain has witnessed significant progress, yet challenges remain. Legacy solutions have reigned for many years, and the purification of large modalities are currently utilizing methods that are not fit for purpose.

Bioprocessing has long relied on these tried-and-true methods, but the demand for more efficient solutions has spurred Astrea Bioseparations to challenge convention, determined to create a solution that preserves viral vector yield to maximize efficiency.

As the sector navigates the next two decades, embracing novel technologies and fostering collaborative approaches will prove pivotal. The pace of evolution in the bioprocessing landscape is extraordinary, and by confronting challenges head-on, bolstering regulatory cooperation, and embracing ground-breaking innovations, the industry stands on the cusp of a new therapeutic epoch – one that promises to enrich patients' lives on a global scale.

The bridge between precision and efficiency

The bioprocessing industry finds itself divided between viral vectors and synthetic encapsulation methods for drug delivery. While the latter lacks specificity, viral vectors grapple with purification challenges.

If we can bridge the ambition of precision therapy with the reality of efficient bioprocessing, there is the potential to unlock effective viral vector-based therapies, more cost effectively than ever before and is poised to revolutionize the medical landscape.

Astrea Bioseparations has developed a cutting-edge nanofiber-based bioprocessing innovation, AstreAdept®, to reform the purification of biological feed streams. The inherent properties of nanofibers bring unique capabilities that can redefine the bioprocessing of large cell and gene therapy modalities, such as viral vector, pDNA and extracellular vesicles by supercharging th purification processes.

Technology architecture

Featuring novel composite electrospun nanofiber adsorbent with an expansive flowpath and a vast binding surface area, the unique characteristics enable the application of chemistries for the purification of biological feed streams in ways previously unattainable. This subsequently compresses processes and presents opportunities to purify larger modalities more effectively than ever before.

This novel adsorbent is designed to be used with standard chromatography hardware, from lab-scale equipment to manufacturing-grade single-use systems, allowing rapid implementation and expanded capabilities. The potential to remove limitations in current cell & gene therapy purification processes holds promise for more efficient therapeutic development.

Unleashing the future of bioprocessing

AstreAdept® technology isn't merely a technological advancement; it's a transformative force set to reshape bioprocessing as we understand it. With a visionary team steering the ship, the industry can anticipate expedited processes, heightened efficiency, and a broader horizon of possibilities in therapeutic development. The launch of three new HERO devices: ExoHERO®, pNDAHERO®, LentiHERO® in September presents a new era in bioprocessing – propelling us closer to accessible and impactful therapies that can touch lives across the globe.

About Astrea Bioseparations

Astrea Bioseparations is the only bioseparations company to offer ligand discovery and adsorbent development services in combination with large-scale manufacture of chromatography adsorbents and production of pre-packed chromatography columns to GMP standards.

Astrea offers a variety of custom affinity ligand/adsorbent development solutions, which can be designed to meet specific purification/manufacture criteria, an extensive range of off-the-shelf bioseparation products for the recovery and purification of biologicals (such as recombinant proteins, viral vectors and plasmid DNA) and removal of problem contaminants (including endotoxin, prions and serine proteases) from research to process scale (up to 1000L batch size).

Astrea also offers a range of semi-disposable and pre-packed GMP Ready disposable bioprocess columns.

Learn more about Astrea Bioseparations and meet them at the 20th Annual bioProcessUK conference.

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