Disposable automation

摘要

Long a standard in R&D labs and medical facilities, single-use technologies are appearing in late clinical and even commercial production within biotechnology manufacturing. Their benefits mesh well with the current state of the biotechnology industry. With another major patent cliff occurring seemingly every month, the overall pharmaceutical industry is shifting focus away from the small molecule blockbusters that defined it for decades. The focus is increasingly on biotechnology products, which are more difficult to manufacture and frequently targeted at a smaller population. Rather than hitting the jackpot with a single blockbuster molecule and then investing heavily in the manufacturing capacity for it, companies will require rapid development of one new biotechnology process after another to stay competitive.