Sartorius launches genetically engineered CHO host cell line for higher yields

Germany-based Sartorius has introduced a genetically engineered Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) host cell line designed to improve productivity and efficiency in cell line development, according to the company.

The rational-design host was developed using proteomic profiling and targeted genome editing. In multiple development campaigns from DNA to lead clone, the cell line demonstrated up to a two-fold increase in expression titers and up to a three-fold increase in productivity at five-liter bioreactor scale compared with lead clones derived from the original wild-type CHO host in fed-batch processes, the company said.

Sartorius reported consistent performance across IgG1, IgG4, Fc-fusion, and bispecific molecules while maintaining product quality. In intensified bioprocessing, including continuous perfusion, a selected monoclonal antibody clone showed a two-fold increase in titer per day with cell viability above 80% for up to 28 days.

More than 90% of evaluated clones maintained continuous protein expression and low gene copy number over more than 70 generations, supporting long-term manufacturing consistency and regulatory confidence, according to the company. When combined with a data-driven workflow, the platform can deliver stable, high-producing cell lines in as little as nine weeks.

The launch follows recent upstream investments by Sartorius. In September 2025, its subsidiary, Sartorius Stedim Biotech, expanded its Illkirch, France site to add GMP-grade transfection reagent production for viral vector manufacturing, more than doubling the facility’s footprint and adding pharmaceutical-grade synthesis, fill-finish and quality control capacity.