Biopharma Leader Achieves Adaptive, Compliant Production Systems

Advent Enables Manufacturing Flexibility for Biopharma Leader

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Life SciencesLife Sciences

Industry

Pharma Manufacturing

Location

United States

Advent, a global biopharmaceutical company, needed to boost production capacity to meet urgent vaccine supply demands. Their expansion relied on installing and validating new single-use fermentation systems, which posed unique regulatory and technical challenges. With strict deadlines and WHO oversight, Advent turned to Trinity Consultants for risk-based validation expertise, ensuring swift commissioning while protecting product quality and data integrity.

Challenge

Advent, recognized for its role in global vaccine production, faced an urgent need to expand capacity during a period of heightened public health demands. To meet new production targets, the company invested in state-of-the-art single-use fermentation lines, including disposable bioreactor trains and flexible biorocker systems. Unlike conventional stainless-steel equipment, single-use systems pose unique challenges, such as managing extractables and leachables that can compromise product quality if not properly controlled.

Working within strict World Health Organization guidelines and under the scrutiny of multiple regulatory bodies, Advent needed to complete commissioning and qualification in just over one month—a timeframe typically twice as long for projects of this scale. Delays would jeopardize not only supply commitments but also critical timelines for pandemic response. Trinity was brought in for its proven expertise in risk-based validation and regulatory compliance, with a clear mandate to safeguard product quality, ensure data integrity, and meet aggressive deadlines without compromising safety or performance standards.

Solutions

Trinity began by conducting a detailed risk assessment for every component and process step, identifying how each piece of equipment could impact product quality, safety, and data reliability. The team mapped out a commissioning plan that aligned functional testing requirements with the level of risk, ensuring critical systems received comprehensive qualification while avoiding unnecessary duplicate testing.

A complete Data Integrity and Electronic Records Assessment was performed to confirm that all automated control systems complied with 21 CFR Part 11 requirements for secure electronic records. Trinity’s engineers carefully reviewed factory acceptance tests and site acceptance tests provided by equipment vendors, repurposing validated documentation where possible to accelerate the timeline.

To handle the complexity of qualifying multiple hose sizes and flow rates, Trinity implemented a bracketing strategy that validated only the most extreme operating conditions. By demonstrating that both minimum and maximum parameters performed reliably, the full operational range was covered efficiently without testing every possible combination. A detailed Requirements Traceability Matrix tied all testing back to user and regulatory requirements, providing clear evidence of compliance at every step.

Through close coordination with Advent’s engineering and quality teams, Trinity executed all commissioning and qualification activities within the tight timeframe, while maintaining full traceability and audit readiness.

Services Performed

The team developed a commissioning and qualification strategy supported by risk-based validation planning and execution to ensure efficient and compliant system start-up. They conducted a Data Integrity and Electronic Records compliance assessment, reviewed and integrated vendor FAT and SAT documentation, and applied a bracketing approach for flow-rate and hose-size testing. A complete Requirements Traceability Matrix was created to confirm all specifications were met, providing a clear framework for regulatory compliance and operational reliability.

Results

Trinity’s focused, adaptable approach enabled Advent to complete commissioning and qualification within the required one-month window, supporting timely process validation and securing regulatory approvals on schedule. By leveraging risk-based methods and strategic reuse of existing documentation, Trinity reduced project complexity, safeguarded product quality, and delivered a flexible, scalable system ready to respond to urgent vaccine production needs. Advent maintained compliance with global standards and strengthened its ability to rapidly expand production when public health priorities demand it.

100%

Compliance with WHO & FDA Guidelines

50%

Faster commissioning than standard timelines

<30

Single-use system qualified in under thirty days

I joined Trinity Consultants because I wanted to take my experience as an engineering student and apply it to a job that was people-oriented and allowed me to explore a wide range of industries. In my time at Trinity, I’ve had the opportunity to both work on a variety of projects and develop my own areas of expertise. As someone who was interested in air dispersion modeling early on, I’ve had the opportunity to grow my experience in that subject area without sacrificing opportunities to try new projects and work with great people. As a Senior Consultant, I now support clients in a variety of industries including data centers, surface coating, Portland cement, lime manufacturing, oil and gas, and more. My project work covers a broad range as well, including air dispersion modeling, routine compliance support, new construction permitting, and stack testing support.

Sam Najmolhoda
Senior Consultant