Purolite, an Ecolab company and manufacturer of synthetic and agarose-based resins used in the bioprocessing industry, has expanded, and extended its agreement until 2032 with life sciences company Repligen Corporation to supply five ligands.

Repligen is a leading player in bioprocessing and long-time market leader in Protein A, with two facilities that produce the majority of the global Protein A ligand demand to biopharmaceutical customers worldwide.

Purolite’s jetting technology is a patented manufacturing method that produces agarose resins used in the purification of vital therapeutics such as monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). Jetting technology provides Purolite with precise control over bead size and distribution, creating lot-to-lot consistency, unique productivity benefits and improved quality for biopharmaceutical developers. Furthermore, the technology reduces lead times and is a greener alternative to traditional manufacturing methods.

Building upon a strong foundation of protein A solutions first commercialized in 2015, this new 10-year agreement will enable Purolite to further expand into the affinity space to provide more solutions for purification of mAbs and mAb fragments that are currently unmet by the market.

One of the highlights of the partnership is the development and commercialization of Praesto Jetted A50 HipH, which combines Purolite’s base beads with Repligen’s ligand technology to offer a novel protein A affinity resin, capable of eluting at milder conditions when compared to conventional protein A resins currently available to the bioprocessing market.

“We are delighted that Repligen has chosen to extend and further strengthen its agreement with Purolite to continue to commercialize their affinity ligands which are specifically designed to target antibodies and fragments combined with our innovative Praesto agarose jetting base bead technology,” said Hayley Crowe, senior vice president and general manager, Purolite. “We work closely to develop true partnerships with our customers to allow us to foresee the challenges of today and tomorrow. This continued partnership with Repligen is an example of Purolite working to meet the needs of customers globally by combining some of the most innovative technologies available on the market.

“In parallel to this agreement, our investment and expansion into facilities on two continents highlights Purolite’s commitment to security of supply, reducing lead times and supporting manufacture of cost-effective therapies. We look forward to continuing a productive relationship with Repligen and adding this ligand technology to our suite of products.”

Purolite is a leading manufacturer of ion exchange, catalyst, adsorbent and specialty resins. It has offices in more than 30 countries, with its global headquarters located in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania. The company’s King of Prussia facility is currently gearing up for agarose resin production, which will position Purolite as the first resin supplier with dual-continent production capabilities, providing leading security of supply to biopharmaceutical customers and CMOs globally.