Merck Launches Industry’s First Off-the-Shelf Cell Culture Media for Perfusion Processes

Merck, a leading science and technology company, today took a significant step toward increasing manufacturing flexibility and enabling higher productivity with the launch of the EX-CELL® Advanced™ HD Perfusion Medium. This first off-the-shelf, high-density cell culture media supports perfusion processes at low perfusion rates, increasing production yield and speed to clinic.

Biomanufacturers are moving toward perfusion processes, the next generation in manufacturing, as they seek to cut costs while increasing quality and efficiency. Perfusion processes, however, require a new type of medium. Merck’s EX-CELL^® Advanced™ HD Perfusion Medium meets “next-gen” manufacturing requirements, allowing customers to achieve a more optimal output than they would using conventional batch or fed-batch processes.

“This launch is a major milestone on the road to truly enabling next generation processing,” said Udit Batra, Member of the Merck Executive Board and CEO, Life Science. “The benefits of perfusion technology include increased cost efficiency, decreased risk and enhanced manufacturing flexibility—ultimately advancing our customers’ production capabilities and increasing access to therapies for people worldwide.”

A benefit of perfusion processing is higher protein yields, compared with fed-batch, which has been the primary mammalian cell cultivation mode for biopharma manufacturing over the past few decades. Perfusion technology is compatible with small portable plants and can be used with many drug types over a range of production scales.

Merck’s EX-CELL^® Advanced™ HD Perfusion Medium is the most recent addition to the company’s EX-CELL^® Advanced™ product line, which offers increased performance, streamlines regulatory compliance and provides the supply chain security needed in today’s evolving biopharmaceutical environment.