Trade News
Munich, 26 July 2012 - Linde Gases, a division of The Linde Group, today announced the launch of, VERISEQ® Nucleation, an innovative cryogenic technology to control the formation of ice crystals during the lyophilisation - or freeze drying - process. Using a sterile cryogenic ice "fog" the technique results in enhanced lyophilisation cycles and improved product quality.
"Until now, there has been no commercially feasible way of achieving uniform ice nucleation, which has resulted in prolonged operating cycles, reduced yield and overall uncertainty in scale-up", said Art Shirley, Head of Chemistry and Energy, Linde Gases Division. "Linde’s VERISEQ® Nucleation technology will provide end users a new degree of control leading to more robust lyophilisation cycles."
Biologics like proteins, vaccines and other injectables must remain effective from manufacture to patient administration. These substances are expensive, fragile and can lose their efficacy during storage. Lyophilisation is a dehydration process for stabilising these valuable medical substances that is conducted in highly controlled environments and in compliance with strict regulatory guidelines. The temperature at which a vial freezes – the ice nucleation temperature - is critical in the process in order to optimise production times and improve quality of the final product.
VERISEQ® Nucleation uses a sterile freezing mist - a type of ice "fog" - that rapidly spreads throughout the lyophilising chamber and causes all vials to freeze at the same time and at the desired temperature. Controlling the nucleation temperature produces the preferred ice structure within the product which reduces processing time and minimises product damage.
Linde has been collaborating with leading freeze drying equipment manufacturer IMA Life North America to test and demonstrate the new technology.
"Test results demonstrate the feasibility of VERISEQ® Nucleation for both small-scale development and large-scale aseptic manufacturing. Results also indicate that both reduced cycle times, and increased product homogeneity are possible", said Joseph Brower, Technology Manager, IMA Life North America. "The advantage of VERISEQ® Nucleation is that it can be retrofitted to existing freeze dryers as well as incorporated into new installations, and initial customer feedback from demonstrations has been very positive."
About The Linde Group
The Linde Gases Division, part of The Linde Group, is a leader in the international industrial and healthcare gases markets, providing compressed, bulk, specialty and medical gases, as well as chemicals to virtually all fields of industry globally. The company adds value to its customers’ businesses through the provision of state-of-the-art application technology, process know-how, services and equipment.
The Linde Group is a world-leading gases and engineering company with around 50,500 employees in more than 100 countries worldwide. In the 2011 financial year, it generated revenue of EUR 13.787 bn. The strategy of The Linde Group is geared towards long-term profitable growth and focuses on the expansion of its international business with forward-looking products and services. Linde acts responsibly towards its shareholders, business partners, employees, society and the environment – in every one of its business areas, regions and locations across the globe. The Group is committed to technologies and products that unite the goals of customer value and sustainable development.
For more information, see The Linde Group online at http://www.linde.com.
Further information:
Susan Brownlow
Public Relations Manager, Linde Gases Division
Phone +44.7825.853-814
E-Mail: susan.brownlow@linde.com
Clare Daly or Suzannah Greenwood
Hill + Knowlton Strategies
Phone +44.207.973-5912 or +44.207.413-3348
E-Mail: clare.daly@hkstrategies.com or suzannah.greenwood@hkstrategies.com