Yet, with the health and lives of people all over the world at stake, time is running out. And it’s not just individuals that are susceptible to the massive consequences COVID-19, as defined by the World Health Organization (WHO), entire societies and economic systems are under threat.
In these uncertain times, GEA, the globally active mechanical and plant engineering company, is taken its role in the fight against this — and any other — epidemic, extremely seriously. Committed to “Engineering for a better world,” GEA designs and builds modular plant and fully integrated systems that meet the extremely high demands of the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries.
A vaccine must be brought to market quickly and in large quantities
GEA can help to overcome this high hurdle. A critical factor underlying the success of the company is its ability to swiftly translate new developments into marketable processes and systems that fully meet the complex requirements of biotechnological procedures
To produce a viable vaccine, any successful process must expedite the transfer from the laboratory to commercial-scale production. This is not an easy task and the amount of effort required and the timelines involved are often underestimated. This is particularly true with vaccines because, being “biologic” drugs produced using micro-organisms, they must be handled with great care during the manufacturing process. Small changes in production conditions can have a massive impact on their consistency and functionality. A strictly regulated manufacturing process with in-process and release tests must be used to guarantee the quality, safety and efficacy of the final product.
During the development of any vaccine and before mass production can begin, a large-scale (Phase III) clinical trial must be done. To reach that stage, however, the right equipment must be in place and the production process must be optimized. With access to some of the world’s most advanced manufacturing equipment and a wealth of expertise and experience to call on, GEA fundamentally understands the processes involved in vaccine production, the capabilities of the technologies employed and the engineering required to ensure that they operate at optimum capacity with the least amount of maintenance.
Existing production facilities and capacities cannot simply be ramped up or expanded at will. From the planning phase to the construction and automation of turnkey plant and process lines that meet stringent hygienic and regulatory requirements, GEA understands that process and has an established track record of developing and supplying customer-oriented solutions.
With its unique blend of expertise and experience, from early stage research to commercial-scale applications, GEA supplies standalone machines or integrated lines that guarantee a high yield of valuable substances and operate efficiently, reliably and economically. Whether large or small, GEA can add value to any vaccine production project.
