# A high-efficiency, low-cost, single-use purification technology for therapeutic antibody manufacturing

> **NIH NIH R44** · BONDWELL TECHNOLOGIES LP · 2021 · $818,750

## Abstract

Therapeutic antibodies have had a profound impact on treatment of many types of cancer and
autoimmune diseases with many new therapeutics in development. However, antibodies are
extremely expensive to produce, and large amounts of antibody are required to achieve clinical
efficacy. In our 268 interviews with industry experts and extensive research of the literature,
Protein A-based purification is the largest pain point in mAb manufacturing. The Protein A market
was $600 million in 2019 and is projected to grow to over $1 billion by 2026. This market can be
divided into the classical resins that have dominated the market and new alternatives which
include membranes. There is a strong desire to move away from resins; however, a lack of
alternatives with superior performance have prevented this. Our Phase I data demonstrate that
we have considerable advantages over incumbent suppliers by providing a high binding capacity,
high-flow, single-use membrane that doesn’t rely on crosslinking. At the end of Phase II, we will
produce our minimally viable product: a low-cost, high-capacity, single-use antibody purification
membrane that has been validated by key industry players and ready to be displayed
internationally. To do this we will accomplish the following Aims: 1) Industrial Scale Production of
protein monomers 2) Optimize efficiency of electrospun membrane 3) Testing with Industry
Partners. The slow adoption rate of new technologies, preference for brand reputation,
compliance with FDA SOPs, global supply risk, and long runway to revenue lead to start-ups
similar to ours being acquired before any sales occur. Therefore, our goal is not to manufacture
and sell this product but to pursue an early exit through licensing, partnership with, or acquisition
by, established companies. To accomplish this, we will leverage the data generated from industry
partners during this Phase II proposal to generate high profile scientific publications and
presentations at leading conferences.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10256230
- **Project number:** 2R44GM134776-02A1
- **Recipient organization:** BONDWELL TECHNOLOGIES LP
- **Principal Investigator:** Sarah E Bondos
- **Activity code:** R44 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $818,750
- **Award type:** 2
- **Project period:** 2019-09-01 → 2023-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10256230

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10256230, A high-efficiency, low-cost, single-use purification technology for therapeutic antibody manufacturing (2R44GM134776-02A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10256230. Licensed CC0.

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