March 24, 2014-COLUMBIA, Md.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--W. R. Grace & Co. (NYSE: GRA) has introduced ProVance™ pre-packed columns, a portfolio of products for cost-effective purification of biologic drugs, specifically monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). Monoclonal antibodies are key therapeutic agents used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, cancer and other diseases. Currently in the U.S., mAbs constitute the single largest biologics product category in the clinical development pipeline. Purification of these agents is a critical step in drug development.
The ProVance™ portfolio of disposable columns come pre-packed with a new silica resin that has a higher capacity and lower cost than the leading alternative technology used for mAb purification. Biopharmaceutical customers have confirmed 40 to 60 percent total operational cost reduction with ProVance™ columns by eliminating time-consuming cleaning and packing steps and achieving more efficient purification. The pre-packed disposable columns further improve biopharmaceutical productivity by lowering the risk of contamination and accelerating time to market.
“Increasingly, biotech companies have been adopting disposable manufacturing solutions in the early stages of the drug development process to reduce development time and capital investments. Until now, the purification technologies used in the downstream portion of the multi-step drug development process have not kept pace,” said Adam Grose, Vice President and General Manager of Grace Discovery Sciences. “Leveraging Grace’s silica purification expertise and material science capabilities, the ProVance™ portfolio of products now brings the flexibility and cost-effectiveness of single use manufacturing to the purification process, allowing companies to realize the benefits of an end-to-end disposable solution.”
“Grace has been manufacturing purification products for the pharmaceutical industry for over 30 years and has a long history of developing silicas for novel applications,” said Joanne Green, President of Grace Materials Technologies. “Along with Grace’s global manufacturing capabilities, Six Sigma quality systems, and a global supply chain, we can deliver the innovation as well as the supply security and regulatory compliance that are essential in the biotech industry.”
About Grace
Grace is a leading global supplier of catalysts; engineered and packaging materials; and specialty construction chemicals and building materials. The company’s three industry-leading business segments—Grace Catalysts Technologies, Grace Materials Technologies and Grace Construction Products—provide innovative products, technologies, and services that improve the products and processes of our customer partners around the world. Grace employs approximately 6,500 people in over 40 countries and had 2013 net sales of $3.1 billion. More information about Grace is available at www.grace.com.