Lyophilization Technology, Inc. (LTI) is a Contract Development & Manufacturing Organization (CDMO) with extensive expertise on all aspects of lyophilization (freeze drying) for preparation of health care products including therapeutic and prophylactic injections, combination products, diagnostics, and medical devices in vials, dual chamber devices including cartridges and syringes, and alternative delivery systems, from product and cycle design to clinical trial material manufacturing and beyond.
Answers to common questions about lyophilization.
Lyophilization, or freeze-drying, is a method of dehydration that involves freezing a product, lowering the pressure, and then removing the ice by sublimation (turning it directly from solid to gas). This process avoids the liquid phase, which helps preserve the product's structure and composition.
Freeze-drying and lyophilization are actually the same process, just referred to by different names depending on the context. Both terms describe a method of preserving perishable materials by removing moisture through a process of freezing, sublimation, and desorption.
The term Freeze-drying is more commonly used in industrial and scientific contexts, especially when referring to the preservation of food and other perishable goods.
The term Lyophilization is often used in pharmaceutical and medical applications, particularly for preserving biological samples, vaccines, and other sensitive materials.
Lyophilization, also known as freeze-drying, is a process used to stabilize and preserve health care products by removing water or other solvents. A few key reasons why such products are lyophilized include enhanced stability, extended shelf life, and ease of transportation and storage.
Lyophilization, or freeze-drying, typically involves several temperature stages:
Lyophilization, or freeze-drying, is used to stabilize and extend the shelf life of various medicines, especially those that are sensitive to heat or moisture. Some common examples of lyophilized drugs include Anti-infectives, Biologics, Oncolytics, Vaccines and VLPs.
Yes, many bacteria can survive the freeze-drying process, also known as lyophilization. This method is commonly used to preserve bacterial cultures for long-term storage. Some examples include the BCG vaccine and ATCC reference cultures. However, the survival rate can vary depending on the bacterial strain and the specific conditions of the freeze-drying process. Freeze-drying works by removing water from the bacterial cells through sublimation, which helps in preserving their structure and viability. While some bacteria may not survive the process or may die off rapidly once freeze-dried, many can remain viable for extended periods if stored properly.
If you have a specific type of bacteria in mind, contact us today to see how we can be of service.
Yes, many vaccines are lyophilized, which means they are freeze-dried into a powder or cake. This process helps stabilize the vaccine for storage and distribution. Before administration, the lyophilized vaccine must be reconstituted with a specific liquid diluent.
Lyophilization is particularly useful for vaccines because it extends their shelf life and makes them easier to distribute, store, and administer, especially to areas without reliable refrigeration.
The equipment used for lyophilization, also known as freeze-drying, is called a lyophilizer or freeze dryer. This equipment is essentially a temperature-controlled pressure vessel utilized for removing moisture from products by freezing them and then reducing the surrounding pressure to allow the frozen water to sublimate directly from the solid phase to the gas phase.
Lyophilizers typically consist of several key components, including a refrigeration system, vacuum system, heating system, drying chamber, a vapor collection condenser, and controls.
A lyophilization cycle can be as short as 12 hours or as long as 12 days or longer. However, most cycles average 4 days.
