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Controlled, Continuous Lyophilization: Faster Drug Product Development & Flexible Manufacturing
Learn how controlled continuous lyophilization can reduce freeze-drying cycle times, conserve development material, and support a more scalable path to GMP manufacturing.
As drug developers seek to accelerate timelines and improve efficiency in sterile product development, continuous approaches to traditionally batch-based processes are quickly gaining momentum. Freeze-drying, often a development bottleneck due to its time- and resource-intensive nature, is one area where innovation is delivering measurable benefits.
Transforming freeze-drying through continuous lyophilization
In this webinar, Thermo Fisher Scientific, in collaboration with RheaVita, explores how controlled continuous lyophilization is being implemented within its Monza development laboratories, reducing cycle times from days to hours while maintaining control of critical quality attributes.
Using a small-scale continuous lyophilization system, early-stage development can be performed with minimal material requirements while supporting a clear path to GMP manufacturing. The session highlights how flexible formulation and process strategies can streamline development through clinical and commercial production, supported by real-world examples.
What you’ll learn in this webinar:
- Why continuous lyophilization is emerging as an alternative to batch freeze-drying
- How small-scale systems support early-stage development and seamless scale-out
- The impact of continuous lyophilization on product quality, consistency, and API stability
- How flexible development strategies can help accelerate the path to GMP manufacturing
Speakers:
Thomas De Beer
Thomas De Beer graduated in Pharmaceutical Sciences from Ghent University, Belgium, in 2002. He obtained his PhD from the same university in 2007. For his doctoral research, he examined the suitability of Raman spectroscopy as a Process Analytical Technology (PAT) tool for pharmaceutical manufacturing processes. Following his PhD, he was an FWO-funded postdoctoral fellow at Ghent University from 2007 to 2010. During his postdoctoral appointment, he spent nine months at the Department of Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Technology and Biopharmaceutics at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Germany. In February 2010, he became Professor of Process Analytics & Technology in the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences at Ghent University. In 2018, Thomas De Beer co-founded RheaVita and became its CEO. The company provides continuous freeze-drying technology for the pharmaceutical industry.
Francesca Bova
Francesca Bova holds a Master’s degree in Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Technology from Sapienza University of Rome. She has more than 15 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry, beginning her career in analytical development across several pharmaceutical companies and gaining experience with both solid and sterile dosage forms. She is currently Product & Process Development Manager at Thermo Fisher Scientific, where she leads the end-to-end development of biologics, mRNA-based products, and sterile drug products. Her expertise spans formulation development, analytical development, process scale-up, technology transfer, and validation, ensuring robust GMP-compliant processes for clinical and commercial manufacturing. Francesca has a strong track record of leading cross-functional teams and driving innovation across complex development programs.
Giuseppina Salzano, PhD, PharmD
Giuseppina Salzano, PhD, PharmD, is an experienced R&D leader with more than 15 years of experience in drug development and advanced formulations. She currently leads the Formulation and Analytical Development Laboratory at Thermo Fisher Scientific in Monza, Italy, overseeing scientific strategy, operational excellence, and the growth of multidisciplinary teams. Her career spans both industry and academia across Italy, France, and the United States, where she has led innovative programs in complex drug products, nanomedicine, and biologics. She has extensive experience guiding projects from early development through process optimization and technology transfer for clinical manufacturing. She is the author of more than 40 peer-reviewed publications and co-inventor of international patents, including the design and development of a drug product that received FDA orphan drug designation.