Bio-Rad Expands Foresight Pro Chromatography Columns With Nuvia Resins for Biomanufacturing
Bio-Rad Laboratories, a global provider of life science research and clinical diagnostics products, has announced the expansion of its Foresight™ Pro prepacked chromatography column portfolio with a new range of columns packed with the company’s scalable Nuvia™ chromatography resins.
The newly launched process-scale columns are designed to support downstream chromatography applications across multiple stages of biological drug development and manufacturing. By combining prepacked Foresight Pro columns with several Nuvia resin chemistries, Bio-Rad is offering biopharmaceutical manufacturers and process development teams additional options for purification workflows ranging from process development and pilot-scale operations to commercial biomanufacturing.
The expanded portfolio includes anion exchange, cation exchange, and mixed-mode chromatography options, giving customers greater flexibility when developing and scaling purification processes for biologic medicines.
The announcement builds on Bio-Rad’s existing Foresight Pro product family, which includes columns prepacked with CHT™ Ceramic Hydroxyapatite Media Type I, Type II, and XT. These CHT-based columns have been incorporated into a number of regulatory-approved processes around the world.
With the addition of Nuvia resins, Bio-Rad is extending the Foresight Pro platform into additional chromatography modes while maintaining its prepacked, standardized column format.
Expanding Options for Downstream Bioprocessing
Downstream processing is a critical component of biological drug manufacturing. Once a biologic product has been produced through an upstream process, manufacturers must separate the desired product from impurities and other components of the production mixture.
Chromatography is widely used in these purification workflows because it can provide highly selective separation based on differences in molecular characteristics.
Different chromatography modes can be selected depending on the molecule being purified, the impurities that need to be removed, and the overall process requirements.
Bio-Rad’s expanded Foresight Pro portfolio addresses several of these requirements through a combination of ion exchange and mixed-mode resins.
The new columns are available with Nuvia Q Media and Nuvia HP-Q Media, which are anion exchange (AEX) resins, as well as Nuvia HR-S Media, a cation exchange (CEX) resin.
The portfolio also includes two mixed-mode options: Nuvia cPrime Media, a cation exchange-hydrophobic interaction chromatography (CEX-HIC) resin, and Nuvia aPrime 4A Media, an anion exchange-hydrophobic interaction chromatography (AEX-HIC) resin.
By offering multiple resin chemistries in a standardized prepacked column format, Bio-Rad aims to provide customers with additional tools for developing and implementing purification processes.
Process-Scale Columns for Biologic Manufacturing
The newly introduced Foresight Pro columns are designed for process-scale downstream applications.
They are currently available with internal diameters ranging from 5 to 13 centimeters and bed heights of 10 and 20 centimeters. This provides customers with a selection of column configurations and bed volumes that can be matched to different process requirements.
Bio-Rad is also developing larger columns with internal diameters ranging from 20 to 45 centimeters. These larger-format columns are anticipated to become available in early 2027.The planned expansion is intended to further extend the Foresight Pro platform into larger-scale biomanufacturing applications.
For biopharmaceutical companies, scalability is an important consideration when selecting chromatography media and column systems. A purification method initially developed at laboratory scale may eventually need to be transferred to pilot and commercial production environments.
Having chromatography products designed around scalable resin technologies can help facilitate that progression.
Nuvia Resin Technology
The new Foresight Pro columns are packed with Bio-Rad’s Nuvia chromatography resins, which use the company’s Nuvia bead technology.
The Nuvia bead is based on a polyacrylamide polymer structure designed for use across a range of purification applications. Bio-Rad says the technology is suitable for laboratory-scale purification, process development, pilot-scale production, and commercial biomanufacturing.
This scalability is important for manufacturers seeking consistency as purification processes move from early development into larger production environments.
A chromatography resin used during process development must ultimately be capable of supporting the requirements of larger-scale manufacturing. Factors such as binding capacity, mass transfer, chemical stability, mechanical stability, and flow performance can influence how effectively a resin performs as processes are scaled.
Bio-Rad designed the Nuvia bead technology with these requirements in mind.
Minimizing Nonspecific Binding
According to Bio-Rad, the hydrophilic nature of the Nuvia bead polymer is designed to minimize nonspecific binding reactions.Nonspecific interactions can complicate purification processes because molecules other than the intended target may interact with the chromatography medium.
Reducing unwanted interactions can help improve the selectivity and predictability of purification workflows.
The hydrophilic polymer structure of Nuvia resins is intended to provide a controlled environment for chromatography while supporting the separation requirements of biological molecules.
For biopharmaceutical manufacturers, predictable resin behavior can be important when developing robust purification processes that must operate consistently across multiple production cycles.
Consistent Dynamic Binding Capacity
Another characteristic highlighted by Bio-Rad is the ability of Nuvia resins to maintain a constant dynamic binding capacity across a wide range of flow rates.
Dynamic binding capacity is an important consideration in process chromatography because it helps determine how much target material a chromatography column can effectively capture under particular operating conditions.
Flow rate can influence mass transfer and the interaction between the target molecule and chromatography resin. Maintaining consistent performance over different flow rates can provide process developers with greater flexibility when optimizing operating conditions.
Bio-Rad says the Nuvia bead technology is designed to maintain its dynamic binding characteristics while supporting high-throughput purification workflows.
This can be particularly relevant during process development, where manufacturers may test different operating conditions before establishing a final production process.
Fast Mass Transfer
The Nuvia bead is also designed to facilitate fast mass transfer.
Mass transfer refers to the movement of molecules between the surrounding liquid phase and the chromatography resin. Efficient mass transfer can influence how quickly a target molecule interacts with the resin and how effectively the column performs during processing.
For process-scale chromatography, mass transfer characteristics can have an impact on productivity and operating efficiency.
The Nuvia bead’s design is intended to support rapid movement of molecules while maintaining the mechanical and chemical characteristics required for bioprocessing applications.
Together, these features are intended to give process developers and manufacturers additional flexibility when designing purification workflows.
Chemical and Mechanical Stability
Bio-Rad also highlights the chemical and mechanical stability of its Nuvia bead technology.
Chromatography resins used in biomanufacturing may be exposed to a variety of operating and cleaning conditions. Stability is therefore an important consideration for process developers and manufacturers evaluating chromatography media.
A resin needs to maintain its functional properties during repeated processing and cleaning cycles while withstanding the physical demands of column operation.
Bio-Rad says Nuvia beads are chemically and mechanically stable across a wide range of conditions.
This characteristic supports the company’s goal of providing resins that can be used across different stages of biologic manufacturing.
GMP-Ready Manufacturing Environment
All Bio-Rad Foresight Pro columns are manufactured in a controlled ISO Class 7 cleanroom.
The controlled manufacturing environment is intended to provide GMP-ready columns for customers operating within regulated biopharmaceutical production environments.
Manufacturing consistency and control are important considerations for companies producing biological medicines, where purification processes are subject to stringent quality and regulatory requirements.
Prepacked columns manufactured under controlled conditions can also reduce some of the variability associated with customer packing.
For manufacturers, this can simplify the process of preparing columns for use while supporting consistent product quality.
Benefits of a Standardized Prepacked Format
One of the key advantages of the Foresight Pro platform is its prepacked format.
Traditionally, some chromatography processes may require customers to pack columns themselves using chromatography media. Customer-packed columns can require specialized equipment, expertise, time, and quality-control procedures.
Prepacked columns offer an alternative by providing a standardized column configuration that is prepared by the manufacturer.
Bio-Rad says its standardized Foresight Pro design can provide a more cost-effective and flexible solution compared with customer-packed columns.
The columns are available in different diameters and bed volumes, allowing customers to select configurations appropriate for their processes.
For process development teams, standardized formats can also support easier comparison of different resin chemistries during method development.
Single-Lot Resin Approach
A key differentiating feature of the new Foresight Pro columns is Bio-Rad’s approach to resin packing.
According to the company, each column is packed using chromatography media from a single production lot rather than blending multiple resin batches together during the packing process.
Bio-Rad believes this single-lot approach provides a distinct advantage for biopharmaceutical customers.
Using media from a single production lot can help provide greater consistency in the resin contained within an individual column. It also gives customers a clear source for the media used to pack the column.
Diab Elmashni, Director of the Process Chromatography Business at Bio-Rad Laboratories, said the new Nuvia prepacked columns were developed in response to customer demand following the launch of the original CHT Ceramic Hydroxyapatite Media columns in 2022.
According to Elmashni, customers requested additional column options based on different resin technologies.
He described the single-lot packing approach as a key differentiator of the Foresight Pro platform and said it supports Bio-Rad’s ability to provide technical, application, and product support from a single source.
Building on the Foresight Pro Portfolio
The new Nuvia-based columns build on the Foresight Pro columns introduced with CHT Ceramic Hydroxyapatite Media.
CHT Ceramic Hydroxyapatite Media Type I, Type II, and XT have already been incorporated into regulatory-approved processes worldwide, according to Bio-Rad.
By adding ion exchange and mixed-mode Nuvia options, Bio-Rad is broadening the range of purification techniques available through the Foresight Pro platform.
The expanded portfolio can support different stages of downstream processing and provide process developers with greater choice when evaluating purification strategies.
Supporting Biopharmaceutical Process Development
The introduction of additional prepacked chromatography columns comes as biopharmaceutical manufacturers continue to develop increasingly sophisticated purification processes.
Biological medicines can have complex molecular structures and may require multiple purification steps to achieve the necessary levels of purity and quality.
Chromatography remains a critical technology within these workflows.
Ion exchange chromatography can separate molecules based on charge characteristics, while mixed-mode chromatography combines different interaction mechanisms to provide additional selectivity.
The availability of both AEX and CEX resins, along with mixed-mode options, enables process developers to evaluate different separation mechanisms depending on their specific purification requirements.
Bio-Rad’s expanded portfolio is therefore designed to provide a broader set of tools for downstream processing.
Future Expansion
Bio-Rad’s plans to introduce larger Foresight Pro columns indicate that the company intends to continue expanding the platform.
Columns with internal diameters from 20 to 45 centimeters are currently in development, with anticipated availability in early 2027.
The larger formats could extend the application of Foresight Pro technology into additional commercial-scale manufacturing environments.
As biopharmaceutical processes move from development toward commercial production, chromatography systems must be capable of handling increasingly large volumes while maintaining consistent performance.
The planned expansion is intended to give manufacturers additional options as their processes scale.
Advancing Downstream Manufacturing Solutions
The expanded Foresight Pro portfolio represents Bio-Rad’s latest effort to provide scalable chromatography solutions for the biopharmaceutical industry.
By combining prepacked process-scale columns with Nuvia ion exchange and mixed-mode resins, the company is giving customers access to several chromatography chemistries within a standardized platform.
The columns are designed to support applications across biological drug development and manufacturing, including process development, pilot-scale production, and commercial biomanufacturing.
The Nuvia bead technology provides characteristics including hydrophilicity, fast mass transfer, flow-rate flexibility, and chemical and mechanical stability, according to Bio-Rad.
Meanwhile, the Foresight Pro platform offers standardized prepacked columns manufactured in an ISO Class 7 cleanroom.
The single-production-lot packing approach is another defining feature of the offering, providing customers with a single-source chromatography solution supported by Bio-Rad’s technical and application expertise.
With current column sizes ranging from 5 to 13 centimeters in internal diameter and larger 20- to 45-centimeter columns in development, Bio-Rad is also positioning the platform for continued scalability.
As biologic drug development and manufacturing continue to expand, efficient and reliable downstream purification will remain a critical part of the production process. Bio-Rad’s expanded Foresight Pro portfolio is designed to address this need by providing biopharmaceutical manufacturers with additional chromatography options, standardized column formats, and scalable resin technologies for increasingly demanding purification applications.
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