SAFC Biosciences and Vivalis to optimise cell culture media for vaccines

SAFC Biosciences, a division of SAFC and part of the Sigma-Aldrich Group, has introduced Ex-Cell EBx cell growth and viral production media to support Vivalis' duck cells used in the commercial production of prophylactic and therapeutic vaccines.

The new Ex-Cell EBx media will further enable EB66 licencees in the development of viral vaccine therapeutics. French company Vivalis plans to use the media in the cGMP manufacture of vaccine lots to support phase I/II clinical trials.

Vivalis, an embryonic stem cell technology specialist, has developed its EB66 cell line from duck embryonic stem cells. The cell line fulfils all current industrial specifications for biologics manufacturing while retaining most of the desirable features of embryonic stem cells, such as genetic stability and indefinite cell proliferation. The EB66 cell line also provides key qualities for industrial applications, including growth in serum-free medium, proliferation in bioreactors at high cell densities such as suspension cells, and demonstrates high susceptibility to a broad range of genetically engineered and wild type animal and human viruses.

Bruce Lehr, SAFC Bioscience's marketing director, said: "We have worked closely with Vivalis to develop these new media to cGMP standards. We expect to continue expanding our serum-free virus/vaccine media offer to keep pace with the market's burgeoning demand for safer, faster, more economical production processes."

Pierre Miniou, Vivalis" director of business development, added: "The EB66 cell line has created an immediate impact in the market as it circumvents the quality and quantity control issues associated with traditional chicken egg and primary chicken embryo fibroblasts, while eliminating the risk of contamination and the costs associated with serum for growing the fibroblasts."

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