Genentech has six 10000L bioreactors for protein production

Genentech has six 10,000-L bioreactors for protein production. Assuming that they are using CHO cells that produce 500mg/L, that one bioreactor is down at any given time (cleaning, staging, batch changeover) and the rest are in full production (24/7), and that a tank produces on average 50L/hr of product:
a) How much protein product can they expect to make in a full year?

b) If each vial/dose of Avastin (the protein product) is 250-mg, how many vials will they expect to fill in a year?

c) If each patient needs 24 doses, how many patients can they reasonably expect to treat in a year?

d) If each treatment regimen of six doses cost $1,200, how much money in sales will Genentech make in a year?

Solution

Assuming that out of six, five reactors will be functional at any given time 24/7.

Volume of each reactor: 10000 L

Product produced per L = 500mg/L

Avg product produced by the tank per hour= 50L/hr

a) How much protein product can they expect to make in a full year?

assuming that it is not a leap year, one year will have 365 days

No of hours in an year=365x24 hours= 8760 hours

Product produced per hour = (product produced per L by CHO) x (product produced per hour in the tank)

                                           = 500mg/L x 50L/hour

                                           = 25000mg/hour

Protein product made in an year= 25000mg/hour x 8760 hours

                                                    =21.9 x 10^7 mg

b) If each vial/dose of Avastin (the protein product) is 250-mg, how many vials will they expect to fill in a year?

Product content of each vial = 250mg

Product produced per year= 21.9x10^7 mg

Vials filled each year= (21.9 x 10^7)/250= 8.76 x 10^5 vials

Genentech would be expecting to fill 876000 vials each year of Avastin

c) If each patient needs 24 doses, how many patients can they reasonably expect to treat in a year?

No of doses each patient needs= 24

No of doses produced each year = 876000

No of patients treated each year= 876000/24 = 36500 patients

Genentech would be expecting to treat 36500 patients each year.

d) If each treatment regimen of six doses cost $1,200, how much money in sales will Genentech make in a year?

Cost of six doses = $1200

Cost of each dose= $1200/6= $200

Assuming Genentech sells all doses made in the year,

Money made in sales in an year= $200 x 876000 = $175,200,000

Genentech would be expecting to make $175.2 million each year.