Sartorius Stedim Biotech (SSB), a leading international supplier for the pharma and biotech industries, lately received several large orders for consumables used in biopharmaceutical production from leading global vaccine manufacturers. They primarily ordered specialty filters, aseptic single-use bags and other disposables for sterile filtration of pharmaceutical liquids and for storage and transport of intermediate serum products. These products are high margin within the SSB's product array. The orders received and the further ones expected will likely add more than one percentage point to Sartorius Stedim Biotech's annual sales and contribute overproportionately to its profit.

The orders from major vaccine producers are linked to current A (H1N1) influenza vaccine testing and the expected startup of production operations. Various countries' governments have meanwhile been requesting significant quantities of the vaccine from these producers in an effort to stockpile a sufficient supply. During the upcoming months, Sartorius Stedim Biotech expects to receive further orders related to the global expansion of swine flu vaccine production. The company is a preferred partner of vaccine manufacturers and supplies products both for classic, egg-based vaccine production and innovative cell culture-based processes using bioreactors.

"We are carefully tracking the situation and are in close contact with our global customers so we are well prepared," said Dr Joachim Kreuzburg, CEO of Sartorius Stedim Biotech. "Apart from the current situation we are facing with the outbreak of swine flu, we have long understood the growing importance of the vaccine market and have been developing appropriate products, especially for flexible single-use."

Currently, there is still no vaccine available to protect against swine flu. However, the viral strain has already been isolated so that development of an effective vaccine can soon begin. Approvals for the corresponding sample vaccines already exist. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), it will probably take five to six months before a commercial vaccine is ready. Production is expected to start in the summer of 2009, subject to approval by the pharmaceutical authorities.

Based on current information provided by the WHO, 17,410 confirmed cases of influenza A infection have been reported and 115 fatalities have already occurred.