In record speed, this facility was completed, certified cGMP-compliant and since June 2010 has been undergoing test operations within a validation programme. Much of the critical facility and process equipment has been procured and controlled for ZD1839 installation, operation, performance and maintenance qualification. The Master Validation Plan for influenza vaccine production was approved which contains the strategy for the validation of processes based on risk assessment, focusing primarily on sterility and viral safety. To increase production capacity to at least 1 million doses per year, IVAC installed hot and cold rooms in a dedicated space,
more incubator equipment and separate zones for in-process testing and the preparation of media and cleaning of equipment; inoculation and harvesting; and purification. Screening high throughput screening Independent technical units have been set up to serve as a contaminated area, a noncontaminated
area, and egg-handling and entrance, respectively. Each area is installed with separate heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems. The HVAC systems and clean rooms have been qualified using a series of manufacturing runs, constant control of environmental conditions and digital direct controller system to stabilize room temperature, pressure and humidity. The quality control laboratory has been upgraded to meet international standards for influenza vaccine production and ancillary zones have been created for personnel. The waste treatment system
has been installed with high efficiency particulate air filters in outgoing airflows. Contaminated fluids from the production process are steam-sterilized before sending to the central fluid waste treatment station, and contaminated egg waste is kept in special bins for incineration after decontamination. A two-door autoclave for decontamination is in place, and a kill tank pressure vessel has been ordered, where liquids for decontamination will be collected and heated to 60–80 °C before disposal. Standard operating procedures have been prepared for the operation and maintenance of each piece of equipment. IVAC is implementing an environmental control programme for air quality which meets mafosfamide particulate and microbiological specifications. Systems to ensure purified water and water for injection will become fully operational in 2011 (see Table 1). Onset of the A(H1N1) influenza pandemic in 2009 switched the focus from (A)H5N1 to the novel pandemic strain. Eight initial batches of H1N1 influenza whole virion vaccine were produced at a scale of 7000 eggs and used to test and improve the performance of the production process equipment and enhance the skills of IVAC staff. The first batch was produced with assistance from the Netherlands Vaccine Institute (NVI) and all process steps were evaluated.