Lonza has launched a custom media prototyping service designed to give biopharmaceutical companies faster access to materials for early bioprocess development and process decision-making.

Custom media available within 10 working days

The Rapid Media Prototyping Service, known as RaMP, provides non-GMP liquid and powder media in smaller batches for screening, process confirmation and early development activities.

Lonza said powder batches of 1–10 kg and liquid batches of 1–100 L can be produced with target turnaround times of up to 10 working days.

The service is intended to address early development challenges including long lead times for custom prototype media and limited options for producing smaller batches before programmes progress towards larger-scale manufacturing.

Custom media is used during bioprocess development to support the growth and production of biological medicines. Having access to prototype formulations can allow development teams to generate process data and assess formulations before making decisions about subsequent manufacturing requirements.

RaMP is part of Lonza’s wider custom media and buffer offering, which covers media development, screening, non-GMP prototyping and GMP manufacturing.

Service links early development with manufacturing

Lonza said the service is designed to keep future scale-up requirements in consideration during early formulation work.

Omar Wahab, vice president and head of bioprocessing at Lonza, said: “Development teams are under pressure to generate data quickly, make informed process decisions and keep programs moving toward the clinic. RaMP gives customers the possibility of rapid access to custom media in the quantities they need, when they need it.”

He added: “By connecting early screening and process confirmation with future GMP requirements, we help reduce scale-up risk, simplify technology transfer and support a more efficient path to commercialization.”

The service is delivered through Lonza’s global media development and manufacturing network.

The company said linking prototype media development with future manufacturing requirements can help reduce the complexity involved in transferring processes between development and manufacturing stages.

For biopharmaceutical developers, early process development can involve repeated screening and formulation changes before a process is established for larger-scale production. Smaller non-GMP batches can provide material for this work without requiring developers to move immediately to manufacturing-scale quantities.

RaMP therefore provides a defined route for developers needing custom media during the transition from formulation and screening work towards process development and eventual GMP manufacturing.