Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells are one of the preferred expression systems used by manufacturers to produce recombinant therapeutic proteins and monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). CHO cells have several advantages over other expression systems for biopharmaceutical manufacturing, including their favorable safety profiles, similarities in post-translational modifications to human cells (i.e., glycosylation), and their ability to grow in suspension cultures at high density. Three widely used CHO cell lines for bioproduction include CHO-K1, CHOS, and CHO-DG44.

Cell culture media for CHO cells commonly contain fetal bovine serum (FBS), but drawbacks such as its variability, cost, and potential to interfere with downstream protein purification processes make it unsuitable for large-scale manufacturing. Therefore, media formulations that do not contain FBS where the constituent components are more defined for CHO culture are desired for consistent and robust bioproduction. More specifically, optimized formulations designed to maximize the growth of CHO cells and their production capabilities can meet the productivity and regulatory requirements needed by drug manufacturers.

Thermo Fisher Scientific has recently launched a new animal origin–free, chemically defined medium and feed system—the Gibco™ Efficient-Pro™ system—specifically formulated for batch or fed-batch CHO processes to enhance productivity and streamline process development. The expert team supporting Gibco™ products have also released a companion video highlighting the benefits of this new medium and feed system, developed using a sophisticated multi-omics and bioinformatics approach to identify the optimal nutritional requirements for CHO cells. The Efficient-Pro system can integrate seamlessly into existing mAb manufacturing workflows to streamline and boost production.

The high-quality basal medium is available with a choice of two, cell-line–specific Efficient-Pro™ feed formulations that work synergistically to maximize CHO cell performance. The feeds are available in both liquid and Gibco™ Advanced Granulation Technology™ (AGT™) formats and are tailored to meet the nutritional needs of CHO-K1, CHO-DG44, and CHO-S cell lines. Gibco™ Efficient-Pro™ Feed 1 is optimized for CHO-K1 cell lines, while Gibco™ Efficient-Pro™ Feed 2 is best suited for CHO-S and CHO-DG44 cell lines. This complete workflow solution is designed to provide greater volumetric and specific productivity, higher titers, and enhanced protein quality through improved charge variant and glycan profiles. Additionally, the animal origin–free, chemically-defined medium helps reduce batch-to-batch variability for improved process consistency.

By choosing Gibco™ Efficient-Pro™ products, you can leverage an extensive global manufacturing network for supply continuity. Altogether, the new Efficient-Pro medium and feed system provides a complete and optimized solution for CHO cell–based mAb production, backed by a secured and robust supply chain to accelerate manufacturing workflows.

Learn more at thermofisher.com/chomedia