Partners BioIVT and Germfree Open New Cleanroom Manufacturing Space at US Site

Editor's note: this story was originally published on BioPharmInternational.com.

BioIVT has launched new cleanroom manufacturing space in Winchester, Va. A research partner and biospecimen solutions provider for drug and diagnostic development, the company partnered with Germfree, a provider of modular cleanroom infrastructure and services, to build the space, according to an Aug. 1, 2024 company press release.

The cleanroom comprises design and solutions from Germfree that boost BioIVT’s capabilities in cell and gene therapy (CGT) development. The integration of cleanroom processes will include BioIVT’s good manufacturing practice (GMP)-compliant raw materials for supporting CGTs, including Human AB serum.

“This facility will play a significant role in our expanding portfolio of GMP-compliant products,” said Parijat Jain, vice-president of Cell & Gene Therapy at BioIVT, in a company press release. “The cleanroom was designed in collaboration with Germfree, relying on their extensive expertise to build a facility that will support client-specific manufacturing requirements and configured for high-volume production enabling product use in late-stage clinical and commercial manufacturing. We continue to evolve and strengthen our support for the development of CGT research, and our future-ready cleanroom will provide expanded capabilities and access to developers.”

The new space is purpose built to support workflows for excipient and ancillary material bioprocessing. The cleanroom ensures quality and regulatory compliance and includes the following features:

• qualified in accordance with FDA requirements
• ISO 7
• FDA-current GMP, International Organization for Standardization, ion selective electrode, Center for Disease Control–Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories, and American Society for Testing and Materials tested
• heating, ventilation, and air conditioning controls systems
• high efficiency particulate air filtration.

"We at Germfree are honored to contribute to BioIVT's groundbreaking manufacturing space by providing our modular cleanroom technology,” said Kevin Kyle, CEO, Germfree, in the press release. “This new facility reflects BioIVT's dedication to advancing biospecimen solutions and scientific research, and the company’s deep experience in helping manufacturers build cutting-edge facilities. We are excited to support their mission and look forward to the innovative achievements that will benefit the life sciences and pharmaceutical industries, fostering advancements in research and development."

The cleanroom addition is the latest in a series of expansions BioIVT has pushed forward. In February 2024, the company increased its capacity for delivering readily available fresh, standard, and mobilized human leukopaks (1). The additional capacity further builds the company’s ability to scale its network of diverse and highly characterized cell donors. Earlier in October 2023, BioIVT expanded its biospecimen portfolio with the launch of its new Center for NeuroExcellence. Through this center, BioIVT can offer neurology researchers a single source from which they can obtain supplies, from controls to difficult-to-collect biofluid samples from populations with neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (2).

References

1. BioIVT. BioIVT Announces Expansive Fresh Leukopak Capability in Europe. Press Release, Feb. 22, 2024.
2. BioIVT. BioIVT Expands its Biospecimen Portfolio in Support of Neuroscience Research. Press Release, Oct. 27, 2023.

Source: BioIVT