[SCAN] The coherent competences of IBET for Biopharmaceuticals

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Title: The coherent competences of IBET for Biopharmaceuticals

Speaker: Manuel J. T. Carrondo

Affiliation: Manuel J. T. Carrondo Lab - Engineering Cellular Applications
Animal Cell Technology Unit

Prof. Chem. & Biochem Eng., FCT/UNL, Investigador, ITQB/UNL, Vice President, iBET

Abstract:

Since the start of its operation, in 1989, iBET has been involved, together with agricultural/agro industrial biotechnological activities, in biopharmaceuticals development – monoclonal antibodies in the early ‘90’s, then vaccines and viral vectors for gene therapy delivery, 3D cell model systems for preclinical research and, over the last decade, stem cells and cell therapies.
Throughout this pathway, by carefully choosing complementary top competent international partners and selecting and keeping the most talented scientists we could gather, we have been pioneers in some key aspects of process development for pharmaceuticals – perfusion for very labile compounds (enveloped viruses, blood factors or hepatocytes for preclinical research), extending 3D cell culture competences to stem cell expansion or mimicking cancer or liver malarial stage model systems, designing new tools for complex purifications for which partner companies developed prototypes or transferring oncolytic adenovirus processes for cGMP production for clinical trials of phase I/II at our spin-off GenIBET supported by iBET Pilot Plant and our strong push for analyticals that qualify such products and quantify these processes, now also carried out at GMP level at the Analytical Services Unit.

A brief overview, with selected examples of how science driven process design steps can push forward this most successful biopharmaceutical area, will be presented.

So as to make clear how determined pursuit of excellence has allowed iBET to become one of the top places in the world for development of biopharmaceuticals.