Merck Millipore develops compaction technology for biopharma

Merck Millipore, the life science business of Germany-based Merck, has developed a new technology that compacts dry powder cell culture media into granules, accelerating solubility and improving flowability and handling. The compacted media are, therefore, more convenient to use, allowing biopharmaceutical manufacturers to further optimise their upstream processes.
 
“The technology is water- and additive-free and applies compression force to Merck Millipore’s highly homogenous dry powder media, fixing that homogeneity in place and creating granules several millimeters in size. The process does not alter the media’s amino acid or vitamin composition, and leaves intact the physico-chemical parameters of dissolved media and feeds, preserving the media’s ability to support cell growth and productivity,” said Merck Millipore in a press release.
 
The resulting compacted media offers important advantages over traditional dry powder media. First, compaction significantly minimises dust formation, improving media handling as well as cleanliness within the production area. In addition, the higher density of compacted media allows for faster dissolution, while improved product flowability facilitates the dosing and mixing processes and limits media caking.
 
“Biopharmaceutical manufacturers need cell culture media that are highly soluble, homogenous and convenient to handle. We developed our compaction technology to address the market need for dry powder media that reliably meet those requirements. Our unique process produces compacted media that are easier to handle and deliver the expected performance,” said Matthias Bucerius, head of Pharm Chemicals Solutions.
 
Merck Millipore will use compaction technology to produce customised cell culture media formulations for customers’ specific process needs. The company also plans to use compaction technology to enhance its established portfolio of cell culture media products.