Asahi Kasei Medical Debuts Newest Addition to Planova Product Line

Asahi Kasei Medical has launched the Planova FG1, a next-generation virus removal filter featuring higher flux for biotherapeutics manufacturing.

Asahi Kasei Medical’s bioprocess business includes Planova virus removal filters and equipment used in manufacturing biotherapeutic products such as biopharmaceuticals and plasma derivatives, and biosafety testing services.

“Asahi Kasei Medical is thrilled to launch the Planova FG1 next-generation virus removal filter,” Asahi Kasei Medical President Ken Shinomiya said. “We look forward to continuing to support biopharmaceutical manufacturers with our lineup of products that help them to safely and efficiently manufacture pharmaceuticals that patients can trust.”

Sold since 1989, Planova’s product lineup expanded in 2009 with the introduction of Planova BioEX hydrophilic PVDF hollow-fiber membrane filters, and in 2022 with the launch of Planova S20N next-generation cellulose hollow-fiber membrane filters, meeting heightened standards for the viral safety of biotherapeutics worldwide. The new Planova FG1 is expected to further contribute to improved productivity as demand for monoclonal antibodies and other biopharmaceuticals steadily grows by 5% to 10% annually.

Planova FG1 provides high performance in terms of the filtration speed and robustness in virus removal capability. Its high flux is approximately 7 times that of Planova BioEX, enabling virus filtration time to be shortened, and it features less risk of virus breakthrough when the filtration process is suspended. Customer evaluation in the development stage of Planova FG1 confirmed high protein filtration and virus removal performance under various conditions using several solutions, even without a prefilter to remove aggregates. Planova FG1 is also compatible with standard cleaning in place (CIP) and sterilization in place (SIP) processes, allowing it to be used with many types of existing equipment.

After starting last month to mass produce and ship smaller Planova FG1 filters, Asahi Kasei Medical extended the product lineup with new filters having larger surface areas to support its customers in efficiently scaling up their process.

The Asahi Kasei Group contributes to life and living people worldwide. Founded in 1922, the company employs more than 49,000 workers worldwide through its three business sectors of Material, Homes, and Health Care.