Rockwell Automation and PBS Biotech have partnered to support the development and scale-up of cell therapy manufacturing through the integration of industrial automation technology into PBS Biotech’s MiniPRO multi-parallel bioreactor platform. PBS Biotech, a manufacturer of single-use bioreactor systems, has embedded Rockwell Automation technology into the MiniPRO platform to provide automated process control and support the transfer of development processes towards clinical and commercial manufacturing.
Cell therapy manufacturers face the need to accelerate process development while maintaining scalability, reproducibility and regulatory readiness. Manual workflows, low-throughput processes, non-standardised environments and proprietary control systems can make it difficult to maintain consistency as therapies progress towards commercial production.
The MiniPRO is a closed, automated bioreactor system capable of independently controlling up to 24 bioreactors in parallel. The platform uses Rockwell Automation’s FactoryTalk software and Process Library to provide real-time process control and visibility. Its automation environment can also integrate with PlantPAx distributed control systems used across larger manufacturing facilities.
“Rockwell technologies let us provide industrial-grade control of critical process parameters, so users are generating high-quality process data in an environment that looks and feels like commercial manufacturing,” said Sharon Harvey, director of product management and strategy, PBS Biotech. “That’s really advantageous because developers are able to introduce this during the product development stage and then evolve towards clinical and commercial manufacturing with history and control.”
The Advanced Regenerative Manufacturing Institute (ARMI), a member-based nonprofit organisation focused on advancing the US bioeconomy, was an early adopter of the PBS platform. “Typically, you don’t see this control in a system as small as the MiniPRO,” said Tom Bollenbach, chief technology officer at ARMI. “Because the MiniPRO has Rockwell controls, system integration is streamlined. When we talk to the supervisory system that makes hand-offs happen, it is very easy to get them to talk to each other. That enables us to build bigger manufacturing lines.”
PBS Biotech has demonstrated that process performance on the MiniPRO is consistent with its larger-scale Vertical-Wheel bioreactors. This enables developers to generate manufacturing-relevant data during process development and supports technology transfer into Good Manufacturing Practice environments.
“As cell therapy programs advance, seamless tech transfers between development outputs and manufacturing requirements help reduce risk during scale-up,” said Matt Weaver, vice president, global industry – life sciences, Rockwell Automation. “By introducing a widely used automation platform during process development, the MiniPRO helps teams preserve process knowledge and control as they progress toward clinical and commercial manufacturing.”
Rockwell Automation, Inc (NYSE: ROK), is a global provider of industrial automation and digital transformation technologies. Headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the company employs approximately 26,000 people and serves customers in more than 100 countries. PBS Biotech manufactures single-use bioreactor systems and provides process development services. Its Vertical-Wheel technology is designed for scalable, low-shear mixing across cell therapy and cell culture applications.
