Cobra Biologics Expands Antibody GMP Production Capacity

Cobra Biologics has installed a new state-of-the-art 1000-L HyClone Single-Use Bioreactor (SUB) at the company’s centre of excellence for mammalian antibody and recombinant protein production. This development represents the latest roll out in Cobra’s on-going expansion plans. Installation of the 1000-L disposable bioreactor has been done in response to strong customer demand, including securing a new contract with a longstanding North American customer.

The investment accompanies the success of Cobra achieving of a 10-fold increase in antibody business during the course of the last 2 years and Cobra’s continuing commitment to single-use disposable technologies dedicated to meeting both customer and regulatory stipulations. Installing the technology forms part of an investment plan, rolled out across all three of the company’s production sites in response to increased demand for contract manufacturing services and the drive to be a trusted supplier of commercial antibodies and recombinant proteins.

Peter Coleman, CEO of Cobra Biologics, remarked: “Antibody and other recombinant protein production has been a strong growth area for our specialised manufacturing site. Cobra’s maxXpress cell line development and comprehensive analytics services are proving to be very attractive to customers. Demand is such that we have the confidence to invest for the future and we see this as just a stepping stone in the expansion of our capabilities at all three Cobra facilities.”

Cobra’s expansion began with the acquisition of a purpose built aseptic manufacturing facility in 2011, providing fill and finish services for pre-filled syringes, vials and freeze drying/lyophilisation for biologics and pharmaceuticals. The Thermo Scientific 1000-L HyClone SUB, purchased through Finesse Solutions Inc., marks a continuation of the company’s strategy for sustained growth.

Brandon Pence, Global Director of Marketing Cell Culture and BioProcessing at Thermo Fisher Scientific, commented: “We are delighted to partner with Cobra Biologics in their continued expansion of their commercial operations. The combination of our application-focused design and collaborative approach to working with customers makes the Thermo Scientific Single-Use Bioreactor the system of choice for more than 85% of the top biopharma companies. Cobra’s decision to incorporate our industry-proven design will enable the company to confidently provide consistent and high-quality manufacturing services to its biotech and biopharma customers.”

Barbara Paldus, CEO at Finesse, said: “Cobra is capitalising on the flexibility afforded by Finesse controllers for single-use bioreactors, to provide innovative bio-process solutions for established as well as development-stage biopharmaceutical companies. The addition of a 1000-L vessel to the existing 50-L and 250-L Finesse control platform will present customers with a highly capable, scalable, and robust DeltaV-based cGMP bio-processing solution.”