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SeamlessBio — Ph. Eur. · ICH Q5A · GMP Documentation · Batch Reservation

Fetal Bovine Serum for Pharmaceutical Applications — Ph. Eur. & EMEA Tested

Pharmaceutical manufacturing and GMP-grade bioprocessing place significantly higher demands on FBS than research applications. Regulatory submissions require documented serum origin, adventitious agent testing to Ph. Eur. and USP standards, TSE risk assessment, and lot reservation to ensure manufacturing consistency from process development through clinical batch production.

Available Origins

HerkunftTSE Risk ClassificationPrimary Use Case
Vereinigte StaatenUSDA-regulated; negligible BSE risk per EMA/CHMP/BWPFDA IND/BLA submissions; US-origin preference for USFDA-regulated products
AustralienNegligible BSE risk; APVMA-regulatedEMA submissions; lowest TSE risk documentation burden; preferred for EU MAA
NeuseelandNegligible BSE risk; MPI-regulatedEMA submissions; equivalent TSE profile to Australia; EU MAA preferred
EU OriginControlled BSE risk; EU-regulated herd surveillanceEMA submissions requiring EU-origin preference; simplified import documentation for DACH customers

Pharmaceutical-Grade Specifications

ParameterStandardAvailable Grade
SterilityPh. Eur. 2.6.1 / USP <71>All pharma-grade lots
MycoplasmaPh. Eur. 2.6.7 / USP <63>All pharma-grade lots
Endotoxin (LAL)Ph. Eur. 2.6.14 / USP <85><1 EU/mL (Low Endotoxin grade)
Viral safety (BVDV, BVV)Ph. Eur. 5.2.3 / ICH Q5ALot-specific viral testing; PCR and infectivity methods
HaemoglobinSpectrophotometric<20 mg/dL standard; lower on request
Gamma irradiation≥25 kGy minimum absorbed doseOn request; dose mapping certificate included
Heat inactivation56°C / 30 minOn request; complement activity confirmed <10%

Documentation Package

Every pharmaceutical-grade FBS lot includes a complete documentation package aligned with EMA CHMP/BWP and FDA regulatory expectations:

DocumentSeamlessBioRegulatory Requirement
Certificate of Analysis (CoA)✅ Per lotFDA 21 CFR Part 211, EMA Eudralex Vol. 4
Certificate of Origin (CoO)✅ Per lotRaw material traceability
TSE/BSE Risk Assessment✅ Per lotEMA CHMP/BWP/457920/2012
Viral Safety Testing Report✅ Per lot — BVDV, BVV, REO-3 per Ph. Eur. 5.2.3ICH Q5A — viral safety of biological raw materials
Gamma Irradiation Certificate✅ On request — irradiator validation, dose mapping, absorbed dose confirmationSingle-use bag sterility documentation
Animal-Derived Components Declaration (ADCD)✅ On requestFor regulatory submissions requiring ADCD
Batch reservation✅ 12–36 months for ATMP/GMP manufacturing campaignsProcess validation — same lot for entire campaign

Available Specialty Grades for Pharma

GradeKey SpecificationPharma Application
FBS, endotoxinarme<1 EU/mLGMP cell culture; minimises pyrogenic risk in manufacturing media
FBS, mit Gammastrahlen bestrahlt≥25 kGy, dose-mappedBSL-2/3 viral vaccine production; enhanced viral safety margin
FBS Tet-FreeTetracycline <10 ng/mLInducible expression systems (AAV, lentiviral packaging, CAR-T)
FBS – extrem niedriger IgG-WertIgG <5 µg/mLDownstream purification — reduces bovine IgG co-elution on Protein A columns
FBS, hitzeinaktiviert56°C / 30 minComplement-sensitive manufacturing processes; T cell expansion

Frequently Asked Questions

Which FBS origin is preferred for EMA submissions?
Australian and New Zealand origin FBS carries the strongest TSE/BSE documentation for EMA submissions — both countries are classified as OIE Negligible Risk with no indigenous BSE. EDQM CEP is available for both origins. EU-origin FBS is also accepted and can simplify import documentation for DACH-based manufacturers. US-origin FBS (USDA 9CFR) is preferred for FDA IND/BLA submissions.
How long can I reserve a pharmaceutical FBS lot?
SeamlessBio offers batch reservation for 12–36 months for ATMP, GMP manufacturing, and clinical vaccine production programmes — covering the full journey from process development through Phase I/II clinical batch production. This ensures the same lot specification throughout the campaign without risk of gap or lot change that would trigger process re-validation.
Is gamma-irradiated FBS required for GMP viral vaccine production?
Gamma irradiation (≥25 kGy) is not universally mandated but is increasingly specified for GMP viral vaccine production in BSL-2/3 facilities to provide an additional assurance of viral safety beyond standard adventitious agent testing. SeamlessBio provides gamma-irradiated FBS with full dose mapping certificate and validation documentation per ISO 11137. This is also specified in some WHO and ICH Q5A-aligned FBS procurement guidelines.
Why is FBS Tet-Free needed for inducible expression systems?
Standard FBS contains tetracycline residues at 10–100 ng/mL from routine antibiotic use in bovine husbandry. Tet-On and Tet-Off inducible promoter systems — used in AAV packaging cell lines, lentiviral vector production, and CAR-T construct systems — are suppressed by tetracycline at concentrations as low as 1–10 ng/mL. Standard FBS can partially or completely suppress inducible transgene expression, causing researchers to incorrectly conclude their construct is non-functional. FBS Tet-Free <10 ng/mL is mandatory for any Tet-regulated application.

Pharmaceutical FBS — Documentation Package on Request

Full Ph. Eur. specification, origin certificates, viral testing reports, TSE/BSE statements and gamma irradiation certificates available per lot. Batch reservation 12–36 months for GMP programmes.
Email: info@seamlessbio.de | +49 851 37932226

Benötigen Sie eine Chargenreservierung oder ein Testmuster?

Reservieren Sie Ihre validierte FBS- oder Humanserum-Charge – ohne Vorauszahlung.
Kostenlose Testmuster auf Anfrage.

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