Q&A with Dan Klees, Magnetrol

Q & A with

Dan Klees, business manager of life-science solutions at Magnetrol International

PharmTech:

What is the biggest industry challenge you're now facing?

Klees:

Our customers have to manufacture more product of a better first-time quality at less cost. To accomplish this, energy use must be minimized, rework must be eliminated, the process must be optimized, equipment must be scheduled and used effectively, product hold times must be minimized, and compliance must be assured.

Our challenge is to help the customer to measure and optimize process parameters that affect costs while maintaining the safety, purity, and efficacy of their intermediate or drug. We need to be involved with our customers at the earliest stages of manufacturing design—preferably at the beginning of product development. Reliable, accurate process measurement and control solutions that optimize yield while minimizing cost have to be designed with the process, not after the process design.

PharmTech:

How do you stay abreast of new developments in the industry?

Klees:

We are actively involved with industry groups, such as the International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineering and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers's BioProcessing Equipment Committee, that develop the standards and practices for leading-edge facilities. Magnetrol also stays in close technical contact with its industry customers.

PharmTech:

Do you see a new industry trend emerging?

Klees:

One of the trends that we see is in the area of single-use processing systems. These systems do not require cleaning or steaming in place, which minimizes energy costs, chemical usage, and cleaning time. They also minimize the use of purified water, prevent batch-to-batch contamination, and allow for flexible manufacturing. Magnetrol is designing single-use instruments that will provide traditional functionality, accuracy, and reliability with the requirements of presterilization, low cost, and disposability.