Continous bioprocessing: An interview with Konstantin Konstantinov from Genzyme

Abstract

What do the European Congress of Applied Biotechnology (ECAB, www.ecab2011.eu) and the Berlin marathon have in common? All those who attended the Tuesday plenary lecture at the ECAB would answer: Konstantin Konstantinov. Dr. Konstantinov discussed the importance and value of continuous bioprocessing Biotechnology Journal, represented by Prof. Alois Jungbauer (Editor-in-Chief) and Dr. Judy Peng (Managing Editor) took the opportunity to interview Dr. Konstantinov on the occasion and asked him a few questions of interest to our readers: AJ: Why do you think American pharma are seeking talent from Europe when unemployment rate is relatively high in the US and therefore theoretically a large labour pool to choose from? KK: We always seek for the best and brightest scientists and engineers. As you may know, we have recently become part of Sanofi, which definitely extends our global reach and strengthens our possibilities. JP: The main message of your lecture was the benefits of continuous processing in biotechnology and biopharmaceuticals. You also mentioned that continues processing is well-established in the steel, food, petrochemical and chemical industries, why do you think it has yet to become a routine practice in biopharmaceutical production? KK: JP: You mentioned also that regulatory agencies, such as the FDA, are becoming more receptive to continuous processing. How do you think regulatory authorities have influenced technological advancements? KK: Regulatory authorities are increasingly recognizing that a partnership between government and the private sector is essential to meet the demands of public health, in the sense that regulations have to be flexible in a responsible way in order to respond with reasonable speed to the public's needs and also open the door for innovations. Recently, FDA representatives have repeatedly discussed the advantages of continuous processing in the pharmaceutical industry. We are extremely pleased with their encouragement, as it applies to the biopharmaceutical sector as well. JP: Another aspect that influences technology development and implementation of new processes is patent regulations - do you think that our current country/region-specific patent laws remain applicable in a global economy and how do you think this has affected technological developments? KK: I am not closely involved in patent law, but believe that harmonization of patent laws across various regions would make life easier from a scientist/engineer's perspective. Even more important for the biopharmaceutical sector is the worldwide harmonization of the regulatory requirements. JP: Much attention has been placed recently on academia/industry collaboration. What do you think needs to be in place for such a collaboration to be successful? KK: As with all collaborations, the fundamental basis should always be respect for one another's work and also trust. With this in mind, it is important to lay down concrete plans and to have a strategic fit: for example, at Genzyme, we have a pool of funds for such collaborations, but in order for this to be spent in a meaningful manner, we must also have a concrete, specific plan in place. From a technical standpoint, I have always tried to keep in touch with leading academic authorities worldwide. This is important both in terms of innovation and as a source of top students from the corresponding departments. AJ/JP: Thank you very much Konstantin for taking the time to talk to us today, we highly appreciate your insight. Alois Jungbauer, Co-Editor-in-Chief, Biotechnology Journal Judy Peng, Managing Editor, Biotechnology Journal