SAFC Commercial, a business unit of Sigma-Aldrich Corp., has validated its recently expanded facility in Irvine, Scotland, which now offers dry powder cell culture media. The Irvine site will act as the European counterpart to the Lenexa, KS, Center of Excellence for cell culture media manufacture and supply in the U.S. The Irvine facility complies with U.S. FDA and EU cGMP requirements, as well as local safety and environmental regulations.
 
The new dry powder media manufacturing capabilities at Irvine site mirror to the manufacturing processes, technology and materials used at the Lenexa facility to ensure reproducible and comparable high-quality product across both sites. SAFC’s new dry powder milling and blending capabilities in Irvine are animal component-free and complementary to the liquid cell culture media, buffers and reagents that were already offered at the site.
 
The site expansion aims to create shorter lead times, improve flexibility and provide access to real-time information. According to the company, efficiencies in throughput and responsiveness were achieved by decoupling manufacturing processes and focusing on supply logistics, while progressive technologies for in-line monitoring and a process intelligence data historian system deliver transparency. Storage capacity was also expanded, creating new material and finished goods warehousing space.
 
“As the market continues to change, we’ve recommitted to staying flexible and providing exceptional support for customers, which helps reduce their risk and lowers their cost of ownership,” said Gilles Cottier, president of SAFC. “True supply redundancy and the ability to source consistent product supply in different parts of the world are key factors in providing this level of support. Irvine is one of the most modern and fit-for-purpose media facilities in the industry.”