Avi Nandi on the Impacts of On-Site Media and Buffer Manufacturing

Access Part 1 of this interview on how CDMOs simplify cell & gene therapy supply chains by managing lead times, consistency, and material expiry.

In Part 2 of a two-part interview at INTERPHEX 2026, Avi Nandi, president of SK Pharmteco Cell & Gene North America, shares his perspective on emerging technologies reshaping how cell and gene therapy manufacturers handle media and buffer production.

Nandi speaks on a product showcase focused on simplifying on-site media and buffer manufacturing, a technology designed to bring supply chain control directly to manufacturers and service providers. He sees clear advantages in this approach.

"Having internal control of the supply chain, the manufacture of media and buffers, is a huge benefit," he notes, pointing to the ability to produce materials based on immediate demand while reducing inventory risk, cash exposure, and the threat of expiry when manufacturing schedules shift.

At the same time, Nandi acknowledges that CDMOs face a higher bar for adopting new technologies given the consistency demands of their broad client base. Any variability in media or buffer quality could have downstream consequences that aren't discovered until late in the manufacturing process.

On the topic of sustainability, Nandi offers a nuanced take. Cell and gene therapy is a heavily single-use industry with high consumable use and significant waste, which means sustainability looks different here than in traditional chemical manufacturing.

"The primary lever I would pull is, how do you leverage technologies to then improve productivity to then improve upon sustainability?" he explains. By maximizing productivity and reducing the number of manufacturing runs Avi Nandi, SK Pharmteco, companies can make meaningful environmental gains.