July, 2003

Massachusetts Biological Laboratories (MBL), a Jamaica Plains, Massachusetts-based FDA-licensed developer and manufacturer of biologic products, has signed a contract with Superior Controls to automate its new manufacturing facility being built in Mattapan, MA. Superior Controls will design and implement MBL's Process Control System (PCS) to monitor and control the manufacturing of monoclonal antibodies as well as other biological products.

Superior Controls has chosen Elan's XFP Product to provide computer- based Electronic Work Instructions for operators and Intellution's iFIX, iHistorian, and infoAgent as their operator interface, data collection, and web-based data analysis tools respectively. More than 20 networked Allen- Bradley PLCs will control and monitor equipment to perform cell culture and purification of monoclonal antibodies as well as filling and packaging of licensed and R&D stage liquid parenteral (injectable) products. In addition, wireless technology (802.11) will be used to provide batch reports and work instructions to operators on the plant floor.

MBL, the fourth oldest biologic manufacturer in the U.S. today (established 1895), has a long history of developing and manufacturing biological products to reduce morbidity and mortality. These products include Smallpox Vaccine (1904), Typhoid Vaccine (1912), Scarlet Fever Antitoxin (1925), Tetanus Vaccine (1941), and in 1950 the first "combination vaccine", Diphtheria-Pertussis-Tetanus Vaccine. In the past 50 years, MBL pioneered a number of immune globulins including Hepatitis B (1972) and Cytomegalovirus (1990). In the past 20 years, MBL has developed and produced "Orphan Products"- those products intended for limited populations (less than 200,000 patients per year).

The new manufacturing facility in Mattapan is the largest single expansion in MBL's history "We have chosen a great team to implement the control system for our new manufacturing facility," said Larry Weiner, MBL Director of Engineering, continuing, "Superior Controls and their vendors are providing us with a flexible and powerful architecture to build on today and in the future as we move to paperless manufacturing in the years to come."