PHARMA
& BIOTECH
The animal health sector is becoming one of the most innovative segments of the pharmaceutical industry. Demand for vaccines, veterinary medicines and supplements is growing at double digit rates, driven both by increased care for companion animals and by the need to protect the health of livestock herds and prevent zoonotic diseases. At the same time, breakthrough biotechnological technologies such as cell culture and genetic engineering – are enabling the production of modern vaccines and biological therapies for animals with unprecedented levels of safety and efficacy.
However, to fully leverage these scientific advances, veterinary manufacturers need highly advanced production infrastructure – scalable, sterile and compliant with stringent Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) requirements.
For more than a century, Boccard, an engineering company, has specialized in the end‑to‑end construction of such process installations. In the animal health sector, Boccard has become a strategic partner for leading producers, designing and delivering modern turnkey facilities.
Boccard addresses the most pressing challenges of the animal health industry: from integrating advanced biotechnologies and ensuring sterility with full GMP compliance, to accelerating commissioning and reducing time‑to‑market for new production capacities.
MODERN TECHNOLOGIES IN VETERINARY MANUFACTURING
The production of veterinary vaccines and medicines is undergoing a transformation driven by biotechnological innovation. Traditional methods such as harvesting viruses from animal tissues or slow‑growing bacterial cultures are being replaced by more efficient and safer technologies:
Cell culture and fermentation
An increasing number of veterinary vaccines (e.g., for avian flu, swine diseases, or cattle diseases) are produced in bioreactors, where mammalian cells (such as VERO or CHO lines) or microorganisms (bacterial and yeast fermentations) produce antigens or therapeutic proteins.
These systems ensure precise control of critical parameters (pH, oxygen, nutrients) and enable scale‑up from laboratory trials to industrial batches of several thousand liters.
Boccard has experience integrating complete fermentation lines. In one of the projects, Boccard designed a biogenerator workshop consisting of 6 bioreactors and 2 ultrafiltration systems, enabling the production of 17 different antigens in 5,000‑liter batches each.
This multi‑product line allows rapid switching between various vaccine types within a single facility, increasing the manufacturer’s operational flexibility.
In ovo systems
The technology of cultivating viruses and producing vaccines in fertilized chicken eggs (in ovo) is a standard approach for poultry vaccines. It requires automated, hygienic equipment capable of handling tens of thousands of eggs simultaneously.
Boccard delivered two complete in‑ovo vaccine production lines for a leading animal health manufacturer in Europe. The scope included five specialized bioreactors (100–500 L) and four thermal skids ensuring precise control of incubation, inactivation and filtration of egg‑derived material.
In addition, Boccard delivered a turnkey OVO filtration skid for an animal health production site in Asia, fully integrated with the existing production line. This solution increased antigen yield and sterility while supporting the transfer of advanced in‑ovo vaccine technology to new regions.
Genetic recombination and monoclonal antibodies
Advances in genetic engineering enable the development of recombinant vaccines such as those based on genetically modified microorganisms producing viral proteins as well as monoclonal antibodies used in companion animals, including next‑generation anti‑inflammatory therapies.
Producing these bio‑pharmaceuticals requires the integration of multiple technological platforms, including cell culture, chromatographic purification and aseptic formulation.
Leveraging its expertise from human pharmaceutical projects, Boccard can design fully integrated production lines for advanced veterinary therapeutics. These include bioreactors with controlled aeration, nutrient feeding and process monitoring systems, chromatographic purification units, sterile 0.22 µm filtration and aseptic filling isolators.
In one such project, Boccard designed and commissioned a complete plasma‑fractionation production line for immunoglobulin manufacturing. The installation comprised multiple process skids, vessels and purified water systems, all engineered to meet the highest regulatory requirements.
These technologies can be transposed to advanced veterinary immunotherapies, supporting scalable production, consistent quality and long‑term regulatory compliance.
Next-generation adjuvants and vaccine formulation
Vaccine efficacy, in both human and veterinary medicine, strongly depends on the use of appropriate adjuvants and stable formulations. As new adjuvants emerge – such as emulsion-based systems including squalene oils – their production and blending with antigens must be carried out under strict conditions, including high sterility requirements and, in many cases, ATEX-classified environments due to the use of solvents.
Boccard has proven experience in this field and has delivered dedicated process installations for the production of veterinary vaccine adjuvants. These solutions include ATEX-compliant process skids equipped with specialized reactors designed to ensure safe processing under controlled conditions.
Such installations guarantee the safe handling of flammable liquids and highly repeatable mixing operations, both of which are essential to ensure vaccine stability, consistency and performance.
IMPORTANCE OF THESE INNOVATIONS
New technologies increase production capacity, purity, and safety of veterinary health products. For example, cell culture and in‑ovo systems allow for the production of millions of vaccine doses in a short time, which was not possible using classical methods.
However, deploying such technologies requires adapted infrastructure ensuring sterility at scale, supporting sensitive cell cultures, and integrating multiple process stages (fermentation, purification, formulation) into a single technological flow.
The Importance of GMP Infrastructure: Sterility and Quality in Manufacturing
Sterility is an absolute priority in the production of vaccines and veterinary medicines – every batch must be free from microbiological contamination and fully compliant with regulatory requirements (e.g. EMA, FDA), comparable to those applied in human pharmaceutical manufacturing. Achieving this level of assurance requires investment in high‑performance infrastructure.
Clean process utilities
A continuous and reliable supply of purified water (PW), water for injection (WFI) and clean steam is essential for veterinary manufacturing.
Boccard designs complete treatment and distribution systems for these utilities, including hot WFI loops circulating throughout production areas and clean steam generators supplying autoclaves and process equipment.
In one large‑scale project, Boccard installed multiple WFI and PW distribution loops to supply ultra‑pure water across an extensive cleanroom area. These systems – equipped with stainless steel piping, orbital welds and sterile filtration – ensure uninterrupted availability of water meeting pharmacopeial purity requirements for veterinary production.
Cleanrooms and environmental control
Injectable veterinary products are manufactured under cleanroom classifications equivalent to those used in human pharmaceutical applications.
Boccard designs and implements cleanrooms classified A/B/C/D, including:
- HVAC systems with HEPA filtration
- material and personnel airlocks
- particle monitoring systems
- controlled differential pressure between zones
In a vaccine production facility expansion project, Boccard ensured qualification of new cleanrooms and seamless integration of process lines into an existing building, meeting stringent Grade A/B requirements for aseptic final filling.
CIP/SIP systems (Clean‑in‑Place / Sterilize‑in‑Place)
Maintaining sterility between production batches relies on automated cleaning and sterilization performed in closed circuits.
- CIP systems prepare and circulate cleaning solutions (e.g. caustic, acid, rinse water) through tanks, bioreactors and piping to remove product and media residues.
- SIP systems sterilize equipment using clean steam at 121°C.
Boccard integrates these systems at the design stage, ensuring that reactors and mixers are equipped with appropriate spray devices, slopes for full drainage and connections to centralized CIP stations.
In one animal health project, Boccard installed a centralized CIP system servicing a large‑volume reactor as well as smaller transfer lines, designed in ATEX configuration for work with flammable solvents. Automation enabled shorter cleaning cycles and full repeatability, validated through IQ/OQ/PQ qualification performed jointly with the manufacturer.
Automation and digital supervisory systems
Comprehensive process control is essential to maintain critical parameters such as temperature, sterilization time and aseptic conditions.
Boccard supplies SCADA and DCS control systems with software compliant with 21 CFR Part 11, ensuring data integrity, traceability and GMP compliance.
All operations – from sterilization to final filling – are continuously monitored by sensors, with process data (e.g. temperature profiles, pressure values, filter integrity tests) securely stored and archived.
In one complex biopharmaceutical project, Boccard implemented a high‑capacity control platform managing hundreds of input/output signals, enabling fully automated multi‑stage chromatography and real‑time deviation monitoring. Such automation enhances safety, reproducibility and audit readiness, allowing rapid access to detailed batch records.
EX zones (ATEX) and safe operation
Veterinary manufacturing processes may involve organic solvents, creating potentially explosive atmospheres.
Boccard has demonstrated expertise in ATEX‑compliant installations, including dosing, mixing and cleaning systems designed for flammable liquids. These solutions incorporate nitrogen inerting, explosion‑proof equipment and intrinsically safe automation.
Such designs enable safe production of advanced veterinary products – including adjuvants and extracts – while protecting personnel, facilities and the environment.
Knowledge Transfer and Ongoing Support ?
In turnkey projects, Boccard not only supplies equipment but also shares technological expertise-helping develop procedures, training staff in operating biotechnological systems, and providing ongoing after‑sales support (service, upgrades).
For veterinary manufacturers, who often have smaller engineering departments than human‑pharma giants, such expert support is invaluable. It enables the team to quickly master new technologies (e.g., bioreactors, complex CIP systems) and gives access to Boccard’s global experts whenever optimization or expansion is needed.
Learn more about our engineering solutions
for veterinary pharmaceutical manufacturing
Key points
Driving biotech innovation in animal health manufacturing
Delivering GMP‑compliant, sterile production infrastructure
Integrating end‑to‑end process and engineering expertise
Accelerating time‑to‑market with modular turnkey solutions
Partnering through knowledge transfer and long‑term support
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