Lonza has announced the launch of the TheraPEAK SfAAV Medium, the first chemically defined, non-animal origin medium designed specifically for the production of Adeno Associated Virus (AAV) in Spodoptera fuigiperda (Sf9) insect cells for gene therapy applications. The new high-performance medium aims to accelerate cell growth, increase productivity, and reduce process variability and costs, expediting time-to-market for safe, scalable, life-saving gene therapies.

Gene therapy holds great promise for the treatment of rare disorders and diseases, and viral vectors are commonly used to facilitate the delivery of the gene of interest into patient cells. AAV has been established as a viral vector of choice, due to not replicating in patients, thus posing a lower health risk. Owing to their ability to be grown at high densities, the Sf9 insect cells are ideal for use as hosts for the production of large AAV quantities. To date, however, translational scientists and researchers have been challenged with the lack of a medium dedicated to AAV production in Sf9 insect cells.

Lonzas TheraPEAK SfAAV Medium has been explicitly designed to address this need, providing a cost and time efficient solution for the production of AAV in Sf9 insect cells. Allowing for rapid cell growth, the TheraPEAK SfAAV Medium can reduce processing time significantly, enabling cell infection one day earlier than similar media available on the market, and boosting laboratory performance. Due to its chemically defined nature, the new hydrolysate free medium produces AAV that requires less purification, further decreasing the overall processing time and minimizing labor requirements. Furthermore, the TheraPEAK SfAAV Medium supports consistent cell growth throughout all phases of the culturing process, considerably reducing process variability.

As a chemically defined, non-animal origin product, the TheraPEAK SfAAV Medium can be considered safer to use than media containing animal or human components, thereby facilitating regulatory compliance. Additionally, the medium is supplied with a U.S. Food and Drug Administration drug master file, alleviating the relevant preparation and submission burden.

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Optimizing the Production of AAV in Sf9 Insect Cells - Technology Networks