Innovative liquid chromatography columns for the pharmaceutical industry that make separation operations faster, more efficient and more sustainable

Informazioni relative al progetto

SEP43

ID dell’accordo di sovvenzione: 968850

DOI

10.3030/968850

Progetto chiuso

Data della firma CE 27 Maggio 2021

Data di avvio 1 Maggio 2021

Data di completamento 30 Aprile 2024

Finanziato da

• INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP - Innovation In SMEs

Costo totale

€ 3 415 312,50

Contributo UE

€ 2 390 718,75

Coordinato da

SEPARATIVE
France

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - SEP43 (Innovative liquid chromatography columns for the pharmaceutical industry that make separation operations faster, more efficient and more sustainable)

Periodo di rendicontazione: 2022-05-01 al 2024-04-30

Sintesi del contesto e degli obiettivi generali del progetto

After 10 years of R&D, SEPARATIVE’s process replaces the conventional silica column with a micronichoneycomb-structured material to achieve unparalleled performance. Separative has entered in the process automation and control phase. We will explain in this document the progresses made in order to meet the pharmaceutical standards and specifications for a column with 43μm capillaries. We will detail the different tests performed in order to validate that our columns meet the pharmaceutical manufacturing requirements. Our chromatography column, SEP43, is the first to meet the industry need to purify molecules to high purity quickly and at low pressure. Purification is key for all chemical industries and more especially for the pharmaceutical industry. Yet, current techniques are often expensive, slow, energy intensive, and create issues for health, safety and the environment. Hence, purification has become a lock in drug discovery. SEP43 would enable faster drug and chemical development, at lower cost, with a safer and more eco-friendly manufacturing process. On the industrial standpoint, Separative has develop its pilot line specifications, has looked for potential partners/consultants/sub-contractors has validated their technical choices, asked for quotations and has on the automation part passed orders.

Lavoro eseguito dall’inizio del progetto fino alla fine del periodo coperto dalla relazione e principali risultati finora ottenuti

We first demonstrate our ability to reduce the capillary diameter of our columns from 60 to 43 μm.
These monolithic multi-capillary columns evidenced favourable performances meeting theoretical expectations. We have been able to manufacture and test 10 mm diameter columns as expected. We then improved our existing pilot plant thanks to process speeding upby a factor of 20 and quality control tools in order to drive the construction of the industrial one. We have advanced the product and raw material control. All those advances did allow us to reach the first milestone of the project, successful 43 μm industrialisation. The design of the industrial equipment has been carefully studied and ensure a capacity production of 3000 columns during the first year which will rise up to 10 000 columns per year after two years. This industrial equipment has been completely designed by separative, including control strategy and selection of furnishers has been completed. The pilot is today operational.

Progressi oltre lo stato dell’arte e potenziale impatto previsto (incluso l’impatto socioeconomico e le implicazioni sociali più ampie del progetto fino ad ora)

Beta testing has been conducted on six different sites with reversed phase (C18 grafted) columns. Testing of these columns has shown that the columns are operational for their initial market target, the Flash Chromatography. Increase of performance will open much wider opportunities in the pharmaceutical industries. This includes going one step further in fine tuning the existing pilot. We will then extend this to CDMOs and related companies. This should lead to decreasing the environmental footprint of several purification processes and tend to make API processes greener. And economically sound!

Example of separation

Multicapillary Material

Anne Bouchaudy in a Dissemination Activity