AstraZeneca orders four more APAS Independence instruments

Drug manufacturer AstraZeneca has ordered four more APAS Independence laboratory instruments from AI microbiology automation manufacturer Clever Culture Systems, formally known as LBT Innovations.

The order, worth $3.1 million over seven years, adds to the five APAS instruments already in use by the global pharmaceutical company, where they monitor for bacterial contamination in the company’s manufacturing facilities.

The APAS system automatically deploys culture places and reads and interprets the results utilising artificial intelligence, monitoring for bacteria in the environment.

The instruments are expected to be delivered in the current financial year and bring to 12 the number of APAS systems sold to pharmaceutical customers.

CCS CEO & Managing Director Brent Barnes said: “We are pleased to have delivered the first five instruments to multiple AstraZeneca facilities over the past three months as planned.

“This additional order of four APAS instruments allows expanded standardisation of APAS to additional AstraZeneca global sterile drug manufacturing locations.

“The addition of contact plates to the APAS platform was a key factor for this additional commitment of roll out, enabling AstraZeneca extended functionality to automate another test performed during route environmental monitoring.”

The contact plate enhancement enables the APAS instrument to process both 90mm settle plates and the smaller 55mm contact plates, including a new analysis module for the reading of environmental monitoring contact plates.

As a result, customers can now process more of their environmental monitoring plates through each APAS Independence instrument.

The Head of Microbiology, Science & Technology, AstraZeneca Pharmaceutical Technology and Development Karen Capper said:
“We are looking forward to standardising an important part of our environmental monitoring processes with APAS
Independence.

“The addition of the Contact Plate application is an important addition to the APAS portfolio that increases
the usefulness of the system for our laboratories globally.

“This was a key factor in our decision to extend our global roll out of the technology across our manufacturing network.”

Clever Culture Systems developed the PharmaQC use for the AOPAS laboratory instrument in partnership with AstraZeneca.

Further reading:
LBT Innovations PharmaQC device ‘commercially ready’
LBT Innovations sells five pharma QC systems

Picture: Clever Culture Systems/APAS Independence