Process intensification is significantly reducing the cost of monoclonal antibody (mAb) manufacturing by improving both upstream (production) and downstream (purification) steps. Jean-Marc Cappia, head of Market Development Intensified Chromatography at Sartorius addressed this in his lecture at the Bioprocess International Europe event 2026.
Over the past decade, costs have dropped from about $500 per gram to under $100, with some processes nearing $50/g.
Key upstream advances—like single-use bioreactors, improved cell lines, and perfusion techniques—have greatly increased yields and shortened production time. Meanwhile, downstream innovations such as membrane chromatography and multi-column systems are improving efficiency and reducing bottlenecks.
However, no single improvement is enough. The biggest future gains will come from fully integrated, continuous bioprocessing, where upstream and downstream steps are connected into one streamlined system. This could push costs even lower, potentially toward $10/g, but requires major changes like automation, real-time control, and end-to-end process integration.
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