New separation system at Porton Down
Porton Down benefits from faster product changeover, increased productivity, easier validation and proven reliability in cell separation process
Porton Down benefits from faster product changeover, increased productivity, easier validation and proven reliability in cell separation process
The Health Protection Agency (HPA) at Porton Down has recently installed a CS2O separation system from Westfalia Separator for cell harvesting and the removal of cell debris within a key production facility.
One process manufactures Erwinase, one of a cocktail of drugs used to treat acute lymphoblastic leukaemia in children. The equipment also performs the same function for the manufacture of other products for the manufacture of other products for the company's contract customers.
For the last 25 years the organisation has used 2 x KA25 separators from Westfalia but, although reliable, the old machines were manual discharge and, therefore, very labour intensive for the plant that runs 24-hour cycles.
The new CS2O is an automatic discharge machine so it can run continuously. It also benefits from CIP and SIP (Clean and Sterilise in Place) which makes product change over much faster and much easier to validate. 'I estimate that we will be able to change products in half the time, five hours instead of 10,' commented Ray Plank, HPA's production manager.