Integration of HOF horizontal plate freezers into Sartorius Celsius® portfolio simplifies management of drug substance storage and shipping for biopharmaceutical manufacturers.

Sartorius (DAX: SRT:GR) and HOF Sonderanlagenbau, have announced a partnership to integrate two HOF horizontal plate freeze-thaw units into Sartorius’ portfolio offering customers a full suite of compatible freeze-thaw equipment and consumables.  This partnership will enable faster and easier implementation of robust frozen drug substance management platforms through improved validation and purchase support from a single supplier.

“With this partnership, Sartorius continues to strengthen its leading position in the freeze-thaw market,” said Eva Lindskog, Head of Fluid Management Technologies at Sartorius. “The combination of our robust Celsius® single-use containers with market-leading freeze-thaw equipment from HOF will provide our customers with a simplified supply chain for improved management of drug substance.”

A key criterion in the drug substance freeze-thaw process is the ability to reliably control cooling and heating to prevent cryo-concentration. The combination of the new Celsius® consumables, with HOF’s adjustable plate system, provides predictability, robustness, and reproducibility.

Alexander Hof, CEO at HOF Sonderanlagenbau GmbH said, “Our customers that need to freeze during their processes are seeking the best available solutions. The unique combination of our reliable HOF freeze-thaw units and Sartorius’ proven single-use technology consumables portfolio will enable drug manufacturers to progress toward high quality, secure drug substance freezing and thawing for a safer future.”

The partnership builds on Sartorius’ 15-year success in developing proven freeze-thaw solutions for customers worldwide and reinforces the company’s commitment to global access to cold chain product and process innovation.

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About HOF Sonderanlagenbau GmbH

HOF Sonderanlagenbau GmbH is the leading specialist for manufacturing high-quality, future-proof freeze drying systems, loading and unloading systems and freezing and thawing equipment for the pharmaceutical and biotech industries. Since its foundation in 1988 in the center of Germany, the company has consistently expanded its market share – today, HOF has over 300 employees who provide reliable and flexible services to national and international customers. The Sector for Freeze-Thaw Units found its base already in the early 1990s, primarily in the blood plasma sector and was further developed for pharmaceutical applications in the mid-2000s, resulting in over 350 units in the market. As quality and reliability are the crucial parameters for the success of a product, HOF is also the partner for all after-sales activities, servicing more than 2000 machines worldwide.

About Sartorius

The Sartorius Group is a leading international partner of life science research and the biopharmaceutical industry. With innovative laboratory instruments and consumables, the Group’s Lab Products & Services Division concentrates on serving the needs of laboratories performing research and quality control at pharma and biopharma companies and those of academic research institutes. The Bioprocess Solutions Division with its broad product portfolio focusing on single-use solutions helps customers to manufacture biotech medications and vaccines safely and efficiently. The Group has been annually growing by double digits on average and has been regularly expanding its portfolio by acquisitions complementary technologies. In fiscal 2020, the company earned sales revenue of some 2.34 billion euros. At the end of 2020, nearly 11,000 people were employed at the Group’s approximately 60 manufacturing and sales sites, serving customers around the globe.

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