Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies has introduced its next generation Apollo mammalian expression system, Apollo X. The Apollo X advanced mammalian expression system is capable of delivering titres in excess of 10 g/L. 
 
Apollo X is designed to be a ‘manufacturing-ready’ cell line with a robust support package to aid IND filing. 
 
“We have focused on optimizing the cell line development process without compromising quality,” said Andy Topping, chief scientific officer, Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies. “And we have achieved that while reaching titres of 10g/L and higher in fed-batch processes.”
 
Apollo X consists of four key components: (1) a CHO-DG44-derived host cell line selected through a directed evolution approach to control and manage cellular heterogeneity. The selected cell line has been fully sequenced and analyzed; (2) a novel expression vector with a proprietary leader sequence developed for efficient secretion and high productivities without the need for amplification; (3) a proprietary cell culture medium, developed in-house by the Fujifilm group, specifically screened for achieving high titres by monitoring initial cell growth, controlling peak cell density and maintaining high cell viability; (4) streamlined units of operations for efficient process implementation.
 
According to the company, Apollo X cell line development timelines have been reduced by 30%, from gene to clonal cell line compared to the original Apollo expression system.
 
Fujifilm has been aggressively expanding its cell culture capacity at all of its sites since the initial launch of Apollo in 2014.