Invitrogen gives clients ability to bag it up

CARLSBAD, Calif.– Invitrogen Corporation and Wave Biotech, LLC have announced a partnershipthat will offer Invitrogen's cell cultures in Wave's disposable bioreactorbags.

Invitrogen will offer Wave's flexible packaging line—pre-filled—bothon-line and through its conventional customer service channel. Although WaveBiotech offers both standard and custom pre-filled bags, Invitrogen will sellboth as custom, at least at first, offering "What the customer wants, when theywant it," according to Nicole Brockway, business segment manager for Invitrogencell culture systems. In the past, Invitrogen's cell culture line had been providedin bags used for delivery only.

"This partnership opens up a pathway to new customers,"Brockway adds, "and provides total solutions for their cell culture needs.Prefilled bags are disposable and do not require validation, so they eliminatesteps in the typical research, pilot plant, or production process. And becausescalability is built-in to the technology, further economies and time savingsresult as products move from the lab into production."

For Wave Biotech, "Invitrogen's commitment to making itsproducts readily accessible to our customers, and its knowledge of thespecialized needs of research and bioproduction customers were key factors inour selection of Invitrogen as our partner," states Daniella Kranjac, vicepresident, sales and marketing.

WaveBiotech and Invitrogen are a study in contrasts, with the former focused on theline of patented disposable bioreactors developed by company founder VijaySingh. Because key products, such as the Wave bioreactors, mixers, and steriletube fusers feature disposable contact materials that eliminate cleaning andvalidation, they reduce costs in operations ranging from cell culture, mediapreparation, and buffer dissolution to patient-specific cell therapy inhospitals. The company notes that these unique devices can be installed andcommissioned rapidly, thereby significantly reducing the time-to-market forbiological products.

According to a company spokesman, Wave is "growing by leapsand bounds," which is attested to by its move from a rented 15,000 sq. ft.facility to its own 80,000 sq. ft. headquarters in late 2005. About the sametime, the company established its first European site in Cork, Ireland. Though a different sort of business, Invitrogen isalso growth oriented. Nicole Brockway points out that Invitrogen has acquired 16companies over the past four years and announced "dozens and dozens" of collaborations.