13 August 2025 | Wednesday | News
WuXi Biologics (2269.HK), a leading global Contract Research, Development, and Manufacturing Organization (CRDMO), announced that its intensified perfusion culture process platform, WuXiUP™, has achieved end-to-end, fully automated continuous drug substance(DS)production at pilot scale. The automated continuous production platform will be deployed across the company's major GMP facilities, offering clients greater efficiency and flexibility to accelerate the journey of their innovative therapies from development to commercialization.
By fully integrating an automated system, the continuous production platform enables non-stop 24/7 operation, which minimizes manual intervention, reduces quality risks, and enhances manufacturing efficiency. In upstream processes, WuXiUPTM has accomplished exceptional performance: 24 days of continuous cell culture yields a total output that exceeds 110 g/L, with a peak daily yield of 7.6 g/L. For downstream purification, WuXiUP™ incorporates a two-step, high-efficiency membrane chromatography system. Compared to traditional resin-based stationary phases, this technology enables faster mass transfer, delivering a 5- to 10-fold increase in productivity.
To strengthen quality control throughout downstream continuous purification, WuXiUP™ employs advanced, iteratively improved Process Analytical Technology (PAT), which provides real-time monitoring and feedback on critical parameters in Harvested Clarified Cell Culture Fluid (HCCF), including protein purity, concentration, pH, and conductivity. When integrated with the automated closed-loop control system, the technology utilizes Residence Time Distribution (RTD) analysis to intelligently divert out-of-spec samples, significantly enhancing manufacturing procedure control.
Dr. Chris Chen, CEO of WuXi Biologics, commented: "The WuXiUP™ platform has already proved its technical maturity and viability in commercial manufacturing. And now it has reached another significant milestone: accomplishing fully automated continuous DS production at pilot scale. Such achievements underscore WuXi Biologics' steadfast dedication to furthering technological innovation, and advancing the standards for digitalization and automation in biopharmaceutical R&D and manufacturing — both of which are critical capabilities to improve quality and accelerate timelines. With our deep technical expertise and extensive track record, WuXi Biologics remains committed to enabling our global clients to speed drug development more efficiently, benefiting patients worldwide."
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