Otsuka Chemical Co., Ltd. has recently developed a new separation membrane device for the purification process in antibody drug manufacturing as a result of its alliance agreement with Toyobo Co., Ltd. By adopting this separation membrane device instead of the conventional column chromatography method, it is possible to reduce the number of steps in the purification process by one-fourth, contributing to increased productivity. Sample provision for pharmaceutical manufacturers and research institutions began at the end of April. Antibody drugs are pharmaceuticals that utilize antibodies with the property of binding to specific antigens. They can be designed to target and attack cells or molecules with antigens that cause diseases, offering high therapeutic effects and reduced side effects. The market is expected to expand at an annual rate of approximately 15% until 2030.

Otsuka Chemical Co., Ltd. has recently jointly developed a virus removal membrane for the purification process in the manufacturing of biopharmaceuticals as a result of its alliance agreement with Toyobo Co., Ltd. By suppressing membrane clogging through Toyobo's unique membrane fabrication technology and our polymer technology, the permeation rate of the drug solution per unit time has increased to approximately twice that of Toyobo's conventional products. This has allowed us to reduce the processing time in the virus removal step to less than one-third, contributing to improved productivity. Starting at the end of April, we have begun providing samples to pharmaceutical manufacturers and research institutions.

Otsuka Chemical and its joint development partner U.M.I exhibited their jointly developed sheet material "Polysera" for the first time at the 15th Fine Processing EXPO, a specialized exhibition for micro and precision processing technology, held at Tokyo Big Sight for three days starting January 22, 2025. For detailed news, please check the "Related Links" below.