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08:30am - 10:00am EDT - March 15, 2021
Jörg Zimmermann, Session Leader, Vice President Vetter Development Service External Affairs, Vetter Pharma Fertigung GmbH & Co KG; Thomas B. Hartman, President and CEO, ISPE; Mr. Rick Friedman, Deputy Director, Office of Manufacturing Quality, FDA/CDER; Jean Hu-Primmer, Global Regulatory Lead, GSK Vaccines; Antonio R. Moreira, PhD, Vice Provost, Academic Affairs, University of Maryland; Joydeep Ganguly, Senior Vice President – Corporate Operations and Chief Sustainability Officer, Gilead Sciences, Inc.
Opening Plenary Session | In this opening session, representatives from FDA and from industry will give their high-level perspective on where the Pharmaceutical Industry is heading. The COVID-19 crisis saw drastic changes in the way of working, but also tremendous efforts from the pharmaceutical industry to develop therapies and vaccines for SARS-Cov2 infections. Rapid development, commercial upscaling and distribution are needed to deliver to the patients. Ways of working need to be rethought, procedures developed and implemented at high speed.

Monday
08:30am - 08:33am EDT - March 15, 2021
Thomas B. Hartman, President and CEO, ISPE
Track: OPENING PLENARY SESSION
In this keynote session, representatives from FDA and from industry will give their high-level perspective on where the Pharmaceutical Industry is heading. The COVID-19 crisis saw drastic changes in the way of working, but also tremendous efforts from the pharmaceutical industry to develop therapies and vaccines for SARS-Cov2 infections. Rapid development, commercial upscaling and distribution are needed to deliver to the patients. Ways of working need to be rethought, procedures developed and implemented at high speed.

Monday
08:33am - 08:45am EDT - March 15, 2021
Jörg Zimmermann, Vice President Vetter Development Service External Affairs, Vetter Pharma Fertigung GmbH & Co KG

Monday
08:45am - 09:05am EDT - March 15, 2021
Mr. Rick Friedman, Deputy Director, Office of Manufacturing Quality, FDA/CDER

This presentation will cover the consequences of variability and benefits of reliability for sterile manufacturing. Learnings from recent inspections will also be briefly summarized.


Monday
09:05am - 09:25am EDT - March 15, 2021
Jean Hu-Primmer, Global Regulatory Lead, GSK Vaccines

The world has come together during these unprecedented times to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. Health authorities and regulatory agencies are working closer than ever with industry in an effort to expedite and make available COVID-19 medical countermeasures globally. Public-private partnership demonstrates that the steadiness and resolve of the public sector coupled with the innovation and agility of the private sector can move mountains to save lives.


Monday
09:25am - 09:45am EDT - March 15, 2021
Antonio R. Moreira, PhD, Vice Provost, Academic Affairs, University of Maryland; Joydeep Ganguly, Senior Vice President – Corporate Operations and Chief Sustainability Officer, Gilead Sciences, Inc.

Monday
09:45am - 10:00am EDT - March 15, 2021
Jörg Zimmermann, Vice President Vetter Development Service External Affairs, Vetter Pharma Fertigung GmbH & Co KG

10:15am - 11:15am EDT - March 15, 2021
Mr. Michael G. Higgins, Session Leader, Sr. Director External Engagement and Supplier Quality, Moderna Therapeutics; Leslie Southam, QA Manager, Projects, Oxford Biomedica; James L. Drinkwater, PE, Head of GMP Compliance, F. Ziel GmbH, Chair, Annex 1 Focus Group, PHSS, Franz Ziel GmbH; Marco Fadda, ATMP Solutions Manager, Comecer, SPA; Rob Roman, Head of Quality Systems & Compliance, Roche / Genentech
Intersection of ATMPs and New Technologies | Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products (ATMPs), are medicines for human use that are based on genes, tissues, or cells. ATMPs offer novel ways to treat a variety of diseases, and in some instances can be curative. As ATMPs move out of the clinic and become commercialized, manufacturers face traditional challenges of scale-up, transfer and the application of new technologies. This session will explore this intersection. You will hear from experts in the field who will provide valuable technical insight and case studies to the participants.

Monday
10:15am - 10:20am EDT - March 15, 2021
Mr. Michael G. Higgins, Sr. Director External Engagement and Supplier Quality, Moderna Therapeutics
Track: Intersection of ATMPs and New Technologies
Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products (ATMPs), are medicines for human use that are based on genes, tissues, or cells. ATMPs offer novel ways to treat a variety of diseases, and in some instances can be curative.

As ATMPs move out of the clinic and become commercialized, manufacturers face traditional challenges of scale-up, transfer and the application of new technologies. This session will explore this intersection. You will hear from experts in the field who will provide valuable technical insight and case studies to the participants.

Monday
10:20am - 10:35am EDT - March 15, 2021
Marco Fadda, ATMP Solutions Manager, Comecer, SPA

The use of Isolators technology in the production of ATMPs has been recently developed. For this reason, we need to set transfer of protocols initially developed for grade B. Habits need to change and procedures carefully tuned to avoid bottlenecks and to ensure smooth running. Introduction of raw and starting materials needs a careful evaluation. Containers study and procedures for cleaning and disinfection must be defined and validated. Evaluate the need of an initial package of consumables when starting a batch and what can be introduced using the pass box. Limit the materials introduced in one shot. Special attention deserve waste disposal, cells cultivation and finished product; Different solutions can be applied, like canisters, continuous tubes, dedicated waste containers. All the points above call for detailed procedural approach, good workbench organisation and optimized space management. Space is limited and every item should be considered and studied in details. Despite this great and careful work, it is worthwhile to do, so given the advantages offered by isolators. SSCB Swiss Stem Cells Biotech, a year ago undertook the tech transfer of the Adipose-derived SVF (Stromal Vascular Fraction) production from clean room to isolators. We now produce ATMPs only using isolator technology.


Monday
10:35am - 10:50am EDT - March 15, 2021
James L Drinkwater, P.E., Head of GMP Compliance, F. Ziel GmbH, Chair, Annex 1 Focus Group, Pharmaceutical & Healthcare Sciences Society; Les Southam, QA Manager, Vector Product Operations, Oxford Biomedica

This presentation is part 2 of the Oxford biomedica Oxbox project case study presenting a combined Formulation-Fill-Finish platform for ATMPs including a lentiviral vector for CarT Cell therapy. The presentation covers an inventive approach to remote-virtual FAT through the Covid 19 crisis, the development of a Contamination Control Strategy (CCS) for Annex 1 compliance that also covers an Aseptic-Containment strategy to manage cross contamination control. The processing platform combines manual and highly automated processes for vial filling with consideration to IV Bag filling. Processing is fundamentally applied with use of pre-sterilized containers and single use systems with aseptic processing applied with limited glove interventions into the barrier to a minimize risks yet provide flexibility for processing different ATMPs. The Oxbox project also follows Scale out rather than Scale up principles with modular yet flexible cleanrooms and barrier technology.


Monday
10:50am - 11:15am EDT - March 15, 2021
Rob Roman, Head of Quality Systems & Compliance, Roche / Genentech

10:15am - 11:15am EDT - March 15, 2021
Richard Denk, Session Leader, Senior Consultant Aseptic Processing & Containment, SKAN AG; Rutger Vandiest, Senior Director - Global Head of Sales, CDMO, Bavarian Nordic; Matthias Angelmaier, Global Product Manager, Isolator Technology, Syntegon Technology GmbH; Mark Miller, Director of Projects, EMEA-UK, IPS; Christoph Bierer, Student, Chair of the ISPE Student Chapter Technical University Munich; Florian Burkart, Student, ISPE Student Chapter of Albstadt Sigmaringen

The ISPE Student Chapter (SC) Munich is currently working on an industry project named "Biosafety Project" together with all other ISPE D/A/CH Student Chapters. The aim is to develop a guideline on how to define organizational and technical measures for keeping the operator and environment safe when manufacturing cell and gene therapies (CGT) - whilst fulfilling GMP requirements at the same time. In the first presentation the current work of the team regarding Biosafety requirements and implementation is presented, current obstacles are discussed, and future steps are shown. Operator Safety was one of the major goals to combine the flexibility to handle liquid and lyo products with fully isolated equipment, to guarantee the highest degree for a BSL 2 Viral Vaccine Fill and Finish Facility. The major hurdles from a project execution perspective will be presented from Bavarian Nordic/CDMO.


Monday
10:15am - 10:20am EDT - March 15, 2021
Richard Denk, Senior Consultant Aseptic Processing & Containment, SKAN AG
Track: Contamination and Cross Contamination Control for Bio Safety
The ISPE Student Chapter (SC) Munich is currently working on an industry project named "Biosafety Project" together with all other ISPE D/A/CH Student Chapters. The aim is to develop a guideline on how to define organizational and technical measures for keeping the operator and environment safe when manufacturing cell and gene therapies (CGT) - whilst fulfilling GMP requirements at the same time. In the first presentation the current work of the team regarding Biosafety requirements and implementation is presented, current obstacles are discussed, and future steps are shown.

Operator Safety was one of the major goals to combine the flexibility to handle liquid and lyo products with fully isolated equipment, to guarantee the highest degree for a BSL 2 Viral Vaccine Fill and Finish Facility. The major hurdles from a project execution perspective will be presented from Bavarian Nordic/ CDMO

Monday
10:20am - 10:35am EDT - March 15, 2021
Rutger Vandiest, Senior Director - Global Head of Sales, CDMO, Bavarian Nordic; Matthias Angelmaier, Global Product Manager, Isolator Technology, Syntegon Technology GmbH; Mark Miller, Director of Projects, EMEA-UK, IPS

The design and implementation of a state-of-the art fill finish facility for viral vaccines faces numerous challenges. Besides the right facility design with focus on BSL2 aspects, this project had the challenge of a very short timeline (fast-track project) combined with facility space limitations. One major goal was to combine the flexibility to handle liquid and lyo products with fully-isolated equipment, to guarantee the highest degree of operator safety . Besides that, the presentation covers also insights into the background for handling of viral vaccines as well as the major hurdles from a project execution perspective.


Monday
10:35am - 10:50am EDT - March 15, 2021
Florian Burkart, Student, ISPE Student Chapter of Albstadt Sigmaringen; Christoph Bierer, Student, Chair of the ISPE Student Chapter Technical University Munich

The ISPE Student Chapter (SC) Munich is currently working in an industry project named "Biosafety Project" together with all other ISPE D/A/CH SC's. The aim is to develop a guideline on how to define organisational and technical measures for keeping the operator and environment safe when manufacturing cell and gene therapies (CGT) - whilst fulfilling GMP requirements at the same time. In this presentation the current work of the team regarding Biosafety requirements and implementation is presented, current obstacles are discussed and future steps are shown.


Monday
10:50am - 11:15am EDT - March 15, 2021
Richard Denk, Senior Consultant Aseptic Processing & Containment, SKAN AG

12:15pm - 01:15pm EDT - March 15, 2021
Mr. Keith W. Weseli, CPIP, Session Leader, Commissioning and Qualification Project Director, Stevanato Group; Peter A. Walters, Director, Advanced Therapies, CRB; Matthew Hewitt, Head of Clinical Development; Head of R&D, Lonza; Jeffrey Kent, Project Engineer, A/E Projects,, DPS Group
Facility Considerations for Next-Generation Manufacturing | Facility Considerations for Next-Generation Sterile Product Manufacturing | The rise of advanced therapy medicinal products has taken the industry by storm over the past few years. This session will look at the engineering challenges that these products present to facility designers and operators. Flexibility is a key with the reduced batch size associated with these products. This session will address how this needed flexibility can be designed into ATMP manufacturing facilities.

Monday
12:15pm - 12:20pm EDT - March 15, 2021
Mr. Keith W. Weseli, CPIP, Commissioning and Qualification Project Director, Stevanato Group
Track: Facility Considerations for Next-Generation Sterile Product Manufacturing
The rise of advanced therapy medicinal products has taken the industry by storm over the past few years. This session will look at the engineering challenges that these products present to facility designers and operators.

Flexibility is a key with the reduced batch size associated with these products. This session will address how this needed flexibility can be designed into ATMP manufacturing facilities.

Monday
12:20pm - 12:35pm EDT - March 15, 2021
Matthew Hewitt, Head of Clinical Development; Head of R&D, Lonza; Peter A. Walters, Director, Advanced Therapies, CRB

CMOs need the flexibility to respond to ever-evolving client needs. Likewise, manufacturers who are bringing their ATMP production activities in-house have complex product pipelines and need the flexibility to develop different modalities in parallel, unsure of which will ultimately go to market. Both are united by the same challenge: they need a facility that can accommodate a pipeline of four or five product types, each requiring a highly sensitive process. But designing a bespoke production suite unique to each modality would lead to astronomical costs and a sprawling, inefficient facility. This presentation will illustrate how multimodal suites allow ATMP manufacturers to campaign between modality-specific process platforms, which raises the value of each square foot inside a facility. This level of flexibility, once considered outside the realm of possibility for such highly customized and novel processes, is now emerging as an essential feature of an efficient ATMP facility design. Each attendee will learn how to: - Protect investments with a facility built for change - Get up and running with industry-leading rapid deployment -Easily scale a facility as pipeline evolves - Understand costs and schedule Fight cancer with an mAb product. Fight a pandemic with a vaccine platform. Do it all in the same manufacturing suite, weeks apart.


Monday
12:35pm - 12:50pm EDT - March 15, 2021
Jeffrey Kent, Project Engineer, A/E Projects,, DPS Group

Gene/Cell Therapy is a rapidly emerging novel therapeutic technology in the biotech industry. Applications for these therapies are wide-ranging from cellular immunotherapies to cancer vaccines, and new facilities are being designed and built quickly to support the production of these new drugs. Manufacturing facilities that are designed to handle cell/gene therapy unique challenges compared to traditional bulk biologics and mAB facilities as their processes/products are still in development and are subject to change. Many gene/cell therapy facilities will utilize live virus during production which poses additional design/operational considerations to ensure aseptic product handling throughout the manufacturing process. 


Monday
12:50pm - 01:15pm EDT - March 15, 2021
Mr. Keith W. Weseli, CPIP, Commissioning and Qualification Project Director, Stevanato Group

12:15pm - 01:15pm EDT - March 15, 2021
Christa B. Myers, Session Leader, Sr. Fellow - Aseptic and Sterile Products, Vertical Market Leader, CRB; Tom Evans, Director; Environmental Health and Safety, Abzena; Christoph Knoop, PhD., Principal Research Scientist, AbbVie Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG; Matthias Angelmaier, Global Product Manager, Isolator Technology, Syntegon Technology GmbH
Containment - Understanding Why, When, and What Regulatory Agencies Expect | For10 years - the Risk Based Manufacture of Pharmaceutical Products has defined expectations for cross contamination control to protect patients. Understand what cross contamination control: why it is needed, when it is needed, how to determine the extent of what is needed, and what the regulatory environment is regarding cross contamination control to protect patients. This protection translates into requirements to also protect operators.

Monday
12:15pm - 12:20pm EDT - March 15, 2021
Christa B. Myers, Sr. Fellow - Aseptic and Sterile Products, Vertical Market Leader, CRB
Track: Containment: Understanding Why, When, and What Regulatory Agencies Expect
For 10 years - the Risk Based Manufacture of Pharmaceutical Products has defined expectations for cross contamination control to protect patients. Understand what cross contamination control: why it is needed, when it is needed, how to determine the extent of what is needed, and what the regulatory environment is regarding cross contamination control to protect patients. This protection translates into requirements to also protect operators.

Monday
12:20pm - 12:35pm EDT - March 15, 2021
Tom Evans, Director; Environmental Health and Safety, Abzena

This presentation will discuss the planning, resources, and capabilities necessary to effectively produce a client’s highly potent active pharmaceutical ingredient (HPAPI) therapeutic, while effectively controlling the risk of exposure to operating personnel. Controlling exposure is a critical factor in successfully bringing many of today’s novel highly-potent drugs to the clinic and eventually to the commercial market. Successful manufacture of HPAPIs includes containment design and installation considerations, Best Industrial Hygiene Practices vs. Good Manufacturing Practices, and the process of characterizing, challenging, and verifying isolator performance.


Monday
12:35pm - 12:50pm EDT - March 15, 2021
Matthias Angelmaier, Global Product Manager, Isolator Technology, Syntegon Technology GmbH; Christoph Knoop, PhD., Principal Research Scientist, AbbVie Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG

The processing of HPAPI's, especially ADC's faces multiple challenges in terms of equipment design ,execution as well as handling/operation. This presentation covers besides an introduction into ADC's, a realized customer project to identity the major challenges in terms of aseptic high-potent fill-finish equipment. Besides having the right Isolator and filter systems design, the focus needs to be on the filling equipment and the right cleaning and wash-in-place procedures to secure both the product as well as the operators.


Monday
12:50pm - 01:15pm EDT - March 15, 2021
Christa B. Myers, Sr. Fellow - Aseptic and Sterile Products, Vertical Market Leader, CRB

09:00am - 10:00am EDT - March 16, 2021
Jörg Zimmermann, Session Leader, Vice President Vetter Development Service External Affairs, Vetter Pharma Fertigung GmbH & Co KG; Jean Francois Duliere, Reg Advisor, ISPE; James L. Drinkwater, PE, Head of GMP Compliance, F. Ziel GmbH, Chair, Annex 1 Focus Group, PHSS, Franz Ziel GmbH
Track: Plenary Session
Revision of EU GMPs Annex 1: What Impacts Can We Expect as an Industry? | 2020 saw the commenting of the draft Annex 1, which included many changes to the 2017 version. In this session, we will cover the commenting process both from the ISPE and the PHSS perspective. Selected topics will be discussed in detail. Based on the outcome of the session with regulators from the 2020 ISPE Annual Meeting, we will give an outlook on the implementation of the final guidance issued by EMA.

Tuesday
09:00am - 09:05am EDT - March 16, 2021
Jörg Zimmermann, Vice President Vetter Development Service External Affairs, Vetter Pharma Fertigung GmbH & Co KG
Track: PLENARY SESSION: The revision of EU GMPs Annex 1: What impacts can we expect as an industry?
2020 saw the commenting of the draft Annex 1, which included many changes to the 2017 version. In this session, we will cover the commenting process both from the ISPE and the PHSS perspective. Selected topics will be discussed in detail. Based on the outcome of the session with regulators from the 2020 ISPE Annual Meeting, we will give an outlook on the implementation of the final guidance issued by EMA.

Tuesday
09:05am - 09:25am EDT - March 16, 2021
Jean Francois Duliere, Pharmaceutical Senior Expert, Chair ISPE France Affiliate, Consultant, Chair ISPE France Affiliate; Jörg Zimmermann, Vice President Vetter Development Service External Affairs, Vetter Pharma Fertigung GmbH & Co KG

Tuesday
09:25am - 09:40am EDT - March 16, 2021
James L Drinkwater, P.E., Head of GMP Compliance, F. Ziel GmbH, Chair, Annex 1 Focus Group, Pharmaceutical & Healthcare Sciences Society

Annex 1 is highly important to all involved in sterile medicinal and Advance Therapeutic medicinal products manufacturing as such clarity of requirements is essential. The targeted consultation of Annex 1 version 12 received many comments on the concern in the lack of clarity in sections for Barrier technologies and Cleanroom and clean air devices classification and qualification. The PHSS prepared alternative test to address the industry concerns and submitted to the EC in the formal targeted consultation process. The main concerns with the barrier technology section in version 12 of Annex 1 was the lack of differentiation between RABS and Isolators. The concerns with Classification and Qualification related to interpreting the generic classification requirements from ISO 14644 and application in a Pharmaceutical setting particularly handing at rest and in operation classification. This presentation considers the key points to understand clarity of regulatory expectations, how barrier technologies have developed to meet CGMP requirements and how Classification-Qualification should be applied as a phased process through Classification, environmental qualification and APS qualification into routine production process monitoring.


Tuesday
09:40am - 10:00am EDT - March 16, 2021
Jörg Zimmermann, Vice President Vetter Development Service External Affairs, Vetter Pharma Fertigung GmbH & Co KG

10:15am - 11:15am EDT - March 16, 2021
Christa B. Myers, Session Leader, Sr. Fellow - Aseptic and Sterile Products, Vertical Market Leader, CRB; Markus Lesch, PhD, Head of Microbiological Validation, Vetter Pharma-Fertigung GmbH & Co KG; Andreas Demmler, PhD, Group Leader Development Biodecontamination, METALL+PLASTIC GmbH / OPTIMA Pharma
H2O2: Not the Same Old Topic | H2O2 decontamination has evolved over the years. As aseptic processing has progressed within isolators and within operating rooms, H2O2 has evolved to be used not only as equipment decontamination but also as room decontamination. As ATMP processing has progressed in the past few years, H2O2 has taken on new importance. How should you use H2O2 and what do you need to understand? This panel knows.

Tuesday
10:15am - 10:20am EDT - March 16, 2021
Christa B. Myers, Sr. Fellow - Aseptic and Sterile Products, Vertical Market Leader, CRB
Track: H2O2: Not the Same old Topic
H2O2 decontamination has evolved over the years. As aseptic processing has progressed within isolators and within operating rooms, H2O2 has evolved to be used not only as equipment decontamination but also as room decontamination. As ATMP processing has progressed in the past few years, H2O2 has taken on new importance. How should you use H2O2 and what do you need to understand? This panel knows.

Tuesday
10:20am - 10:35am EDT - March 16, 2021
Marcus Lesch, PhD, Vetter Pharma-Fertigung GmbH & Co. KG

Decontamination of cleanrooms as opposed to Isolators present unique challenges. The volume of the room and the geometric limitations needs to be taken into account. This presentation will describe the development and qualification of a system that was developed to decontaminate RABS cleanrooms using aerosolized hydrogen peroxide. This is specifically useful for flexible cleanrooms with frequent product changeover. The details include: Design of decontamination system & cleanroom, optimization of the aerosolized amount of H2O2 selection of positions to be challenged with indicators, optimization of relative humidity, optimization of the decontamination time value of chemical indicators for validation of bio-decontamination processes.


Tuesday
10:35am - 10:50am EDT - March 16, 2021
Andreas Demmler, PhD, Group Leader Development Biodecontamination, METALL+PLASTIC GmbH / OPTIMA Pharma

In aseptic production using barrier systems, a variety of differing materials like packaging materials or consumables are present. Nowadays, further new technologies emerge for application of hydrogen peroxide for biodecontamination. However, hydrogen peroxide can interact with materials. This can have significant critical impact on the aseptic process or product. Especially biopharmaceuticals (as most vaccines) are highly prone towards oxidation. In this presentation a basic introduction to the interaction processes between hydrogen peroxide and materials is given, explaining the resulting possible impacts on products or processes. Approaches for practical investigation are discussed and evaluated by means of experimental data of real-life examples from pharmaceutical production. It can be concluded that careful evaluation of interactions between hydrogen peroxide and materials is inevitable when performing process risk analysis and will provide additional safety for the respective aseptic processes. As a result, the conference participant will learn which interactions may occur, how they can have impact on process or product and how to investigate this. Therefore, he will become aware of the necessity of a comprehensive assessment on interactions of hydrogen peroxide and materials.


Tuesday
10:50am - 11:15am EDT - March 16, 2021
Christa B. Myers, Sr. Fellow - Aseptic and Sterile Products, Vertical Market Leader, CRB

10:15am - 11:15am EDT - March 16, 2021
Mr. Klaus Ullherr, Session Leader, Senior Product Manager, Syntegon Technology GmbH; Georg Frinke, Senior Engineering Manager, Ferring GmbH; Thomas Thurn, PhD, Director Drug Product Clinical Supply Chain, Janssen Cilag AG; Richard Denk, Senior Consultant Aseptic Processing & Containment, SKAN AG
Modular Robotic Fill/Finish Lines | The use of robotics is a hot topic in pharma, particularly in the area of fill/finish. While robots are able to accomplish numerous tasks, in aseptic processing, their use is primarily for container handling or replacing a classical transport system. They provide very smooth individual transport and, from a line perspective, a completely modular approach. More and more experts are claiming this is not enough. Robotics can and should do more like settle plate handling, trouble shooting, gloveless operation, quick change over, easy efficient cleaning/washing, increased product and operator safety to name some of the possibilities. The need for expanding the use of robotics into a variety of functions was a key topic of discussion during last year’s Aseptic Conference. This year’s session has been designed to continue that conversation and learn from industry experts who are moving forward with implementation.

Tuesday
10:15am - 10:20am EDT - March 16, 2021
Mr. Klaus Ullherr, Senior Product Manager, Syntegon Technology GmbH
Track: Modular Robotic Fill/Finish Lines
The use of robotics is a hot topic in pharma, particularly in the area of fill/finish. While robots are able to accomplish numerous tasks, in aseptic processing, their use is primarily for container handling or replacing a classical transport system. They provide very smooth individual transport and, from a line perspective, a completely modular approach. More and more experts are claiming this is not enough. Robotics can and should do more – like settle plate handling, trouble shooting, gloveless operation, quick change over, easy efficient cleaning/washing, increased product and operator safety to name some of the possibilities.

The need for expanding the use of robotics into a variety of functions was a key topic of discussion during last year’s Aseptic Conference. This year’s session has been designed to continue that conversation and learn from industry experts who are moving forward with implementation.

Tuesday
10:20am - 10:35am EDT - March 16, 2021
Georg Frinke, Senior Engineering Manager, Ferring GmbH

Tuesday
10:35am - 10:50am EDT - March 16, 2021
Richard Denk, Senior Consultant Aseptic Processing & Containment, SKAN AG; Thomas Thurn, PhD, Director Drug Product Clinical Supply Chain, Janssen Cilag AG

In the new draft Annex 1 the use of automated processes and Rapid Micro Method technologies are mentioned. How can be current technologies for EM monitoring replaced through new innovative technologies.


Tuesday
10:50am - 11:15am EDT - March 16, 2021
Mr. Klaus Ullherr, Senior Product Manager, Syntegon Technology GmbH

12:15pm - 01:15pm EDT - March 16, 2021
Dina Manfredi, Session Leader, Director of Sales and Business Development, GMP Systems Inc; William G. Whitford, Life Science Strategic Solutions Leader, DPS Group; Magali Barbaroux, Corporate Research Fellow, Sartorius Stedim FMT SAS; Joe Neroni, Director, Project Farma; Scott Bertch, Exec. Director, Clinical Site Head, Tenaya Therapeutics
Single Use Technologies - Are they sustainable? | Over more than two decades, the pharmaceutical industry has increasingly adopted single-use technologies primarily to simplify manufacturing and seemingly to reduce cost; however, the need to reduce environmental burden has a huge impact on these facilities. This session will focus on single-use technologies for gene and cell therapy facilities, while considering the impact on sustainability.

Our first presenter will investigate the impact of single-use with respect to proper cleaning, disposal, and handling, and how it relates to vaccine production including Industry 4.0 and implementation of the 6R's.

Our second presenter will discuss the unique nature of Advanced Therapy Facilities including the advantages and disadvantages of single-use and modular clean room technology as well as flexible manufacturing for gene and cell therapies.

Tuesday
12:15pm - 12:20pm EDT - March 16, 2021
Dina Manfredi, Director of Sales and Business Development, GMP Systems Inc
Track: Single Use Technologies – Are they sustainable
Over more than two decades, the pharmaceutical industry has increasingly adopted single-use technologies primarily to simplify manufacturing and seemingly to reduce cost; however, the need to reduce environmental burden has a huge impact on these facilities. This session will focus on single-use technologies for gene and cell therapy facilities, while considering the impact on sustainability.

Our first presenter will investigate the impact of single-use with respect to proper cleaning, disposal, and handling, and how it relates to vaccine production including Industry 4.0 and implementation of the 6R’s.

Our second presenter will discuss the unique nature of Advanced Therapy Facilities including the advantages and disadvantages of single-use and modular clean room technology as well as flexible manufacturing for gene and cell therapies.

Tuesday
12:20pm - 12:35pm EDT - March 16, 2021
William G. Whitford, Life Science Strategic Solutions Leader, DPS Group

Presenters will discuss the unique nature of advanced therapy facilities with a focus on the advantages of using modular cleanrooms and single use technologies in cell and gene therapy. Primary topics include discussion of the following: Modular cleanrooms, Single-use technologies, Advantages of each, Advantages of flexible manufacturing in advanced therapies and Any shortcomings of these technologies.


Tuesday
12:35pm - 12:50pm EDT - March 16, 2021
Scott Bertch, Exec. Director, Clinical Site Head, Tenaya Therapeutics; Joe Neroni, Director, Project Farma

Recent national initiatives and international organizational goals speak to the need to address sustainable vaccine manufacturing. Single-Use (SU) based manufacturing technology provides unique health and safety benefits, while contributing a very small fraction of total plastic waste. Nevertheless, materials suppliers, engineers, architects and vaccine manufacturers desire to reduce SU environmental burdens. They report that such powerful initiatives as Industry 4.0, process intensifications and LCA are contributing to the 6 Rs approach to greener use of SU materials: rethink, reduce, reengineer, reuse, recycle and recover energy.


Tuesday
12:50pm - 01:15pm EDT - March 16, 2021
Magali Barbaroux, Corporate Research Fellow, Sartorius Stedim FMT SAS

12:15pm - 01:15pm EDT - March 16, 2021
Mr. Klaus Ullherr, Session Leader, Senior Product Manager, Syntegon Technology GmbH; Stefan Schreyer, Alliance Manager, Vetter Pharma International GmbH; Stephen Jackowell, Director, Manufacturing Quality & Validation, Elanco Corporation; Mr. Chip Bennett, PMP, Associate Director, Global CQV, CAI
Process Safety | Robust and safe processes are the foundation of pharmaceutical manufacturing. Changes to processes are inevitable, but often result in increased risks. New processes such as those associated with changes in raw materials or transfer of production to other sites have to be managed properly. In this session, two different examples will demonstrate which methods and structured approaches can be used to effectively maintain process safety, even when they involve major changes.

Tuesday
12:15pm - 12:20pm EDT - March 16, 2021
Mr. Klaus Ullherr, Senior Product Manager, Syntegon Technology GmbH
Track: PROCESS SAFETY
Robust and safe processes are the foundation of pharmaceutical manufacturing. Changes to processes are inevitable, but often result in increased risks. New processes such as those associated with changes in raw materials or transfer of production to other sites have to be managed properly. In this session, two different examples will demonstrate which methods and structured approaches can be used to effectively maintain process safety, even when they involve major changes.

Tuesday
12:20pm - 12:35pm EDT - March 16, 2021
Stefan Schreyer, Alliance Manager, Vetter Pharma International GmbH

Siliconization of glass containers is a central process in the preparation for filling of parenterals. A change in the main component, namely the silicone oil emulsion, therefore represents a sensitive intervention in the aseptic process. Especially when more than 40 products are affected, careful planning and implementation of such a change is essential. Together with studies in the laboratory, stability studies and the application for further use of this central component, a complex project is created, which is to be presented here. The details will include: The participants will get insights into: Design of the lab study, design of the stability study, insights into ECHA application.


Tuesday
12:35pm - 12:50pm EDT - March 16, 2021
Stephen Jackowell, Director, Manufacturing Quality & Validation, Elanco Corporation; Mr. Chip Bennett, PMP, Associate Director, Global CQV, CAI

Elanco Animal Health recently completed a facility expansion at its Fort Dodge, IA, site to accommodate the technical transfer of 70 additional products to the facility. This topic will discuss how Elanco incorporated QRM principles into its approach to commissioning and qualification of the facility expansion, following ASTM E2500 and fully compliant with the revised ISPE Baseline Guide Volume 5, which was published while the project was ongoing. Elanco Animal Health in Fort Dodge is a biopharmaceutical facility that produces injectable vaccines for agricultural and domestic animals. The facility is USDA-regulated and must maintain GMPs and aseptic manufacturing conditions to deliver product quality analogous to FDA-regulated facilities for human patients. The nature of patients may differ, but the principles of delivering product quality and patient safety do not. As such, QRM principles can be applied equally to the approach to facility C&Q. This topic will discuss how QRM principles were applied to actual project deliverables throughout the C&Q process, the challenges encountered – and overcome – in applying a QRM-based approach to C&Q, the project outcome, regulatory receptiveness to the approach, and lessons learned.


Tuesday
12:50pm - 01:15pm EDT - March 16, 2021
Mr. Klaus Ullherr, Senior Product Manager, Syntegon Technology GmbH