Merck Millipore granted patent for selective layering method that improves virus filtration performance

Published: 25-Mar-2015

Provides Viresolve Pro Device with industry-leading performance consistency


Merck Millipore, headquartered in Billerica, MA, US and the Life Science division of Merck, has been granted a US patent for developing a selective layering method that improves the consistency of virus filtration performance.

The method is used to manufacture Merck Millipore's Viresolve Pro Device, a virus filtration technology that offers productive parvovirus clearance for monoclonal antibodies and therapeutic proteins. As a result of selective layering, the device provides an industry-leading performance consistency superior to other virus filtration devices currently on the market, the company said.

The Viresolve Pro Device uses a dual-layer PES membrane to deliver high parvovirus log reduction value (LRV), capacity and flux. Using the now patented method, the top and bottom membrane layers are selected from different segments of the normal membrane population and optimally paired to drive performance consistency. This reduces device-to-device throughput performance variability by about 50% compared with random pairing, while also increasing the average throughput performance. The result is strong batch-to-batch consistency in virus retention, permeability and throughput capacity.

Udit Batra, President and CEO of Merck Millipore, said: ‘This new patent reflects Merck Millipore's ongoing commitment to delivering innovation to our customers in biopharmaceutical manufacturing. Our team of experts developed this methodology to significantly improve upon industry standards for virus clearance unit operations.’

Introduced in 2008, the Viresolve Pro Device offers high mass capacity, as well as optional capacity enhancement with the use of an adsorptive polishing step. In addition, its single-use flowpaths require no cleaning validation and the processing typically takes less than four hours at scale, making the device quick and easy to install and use.

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