Virus filtration is a critical control point in modern bioprocessing—from clinical manufacturing to full commercial scale. The goal is straightforward: remove or retain adventitious and model viruses without undermining yield, product quality, or timeline. On this page, you’ll find two complementary virus filtration options from Cytiva—Pegasus™ SV4 and Ultipor VF DV50 Junior—plus practical guidance to help you choose the right fit for your process stage and scale.

Pegasus™ SV4 Solutions

Pegasus™ SV4 combines proven virus reduction performance with formats that map neatly to single-use and multi-use strategies. Before diving into form factors, keep the core value in mind: consistent throughput, robust retention, and compatibility with common downstream steps, so you can scale confidently and document compliance cleanly.

Kleenpak™ Nova Single-Use Capsule

For processes that prize speed, flexibility, and minimal cleaning validation, the Pegasus™ SV4 capsule in a Kleenpak™ Nova format is a strong default. Its single-use design simplifies changeover, reduces cross-contamination risk, and shortens turnaround. Typical use cases include monoclonal antibodies, recombinant proteins, vaccine intermediates, and plasma-derived workflows where time-to-batch and lot segregation are top priorities.

• Where it fits best: multiproduct facilities, pilot plants, and scale-out networks that need swift line reconfiguration.

• Operational advantages: no CIP/SIP steps, reduced validation load, faster batch-to-batch transitions.

• Workflow impact: easier tech transfer, smaller footprint, and predictable integration with single-use flow paths.

Cartridge Format for Multi-Use Systems

When your facility is optimized for large, repeated campaigns, the Pegasus™ SV4 cartridge format lends itself to multi-use skids and established cleaning regimes. It supports higher throughputs per filter train and can be economical over long manufacturing runs—especially when batch sizes are large and filter utilization is maximized.

• Where it fits best: commercial lines with stable products and validated cleaning cycles.

• Operational advantages: durable format, cost efficiency across many batches, alignment with existing stainless systems.

• Workflow impact: consistent performance within multi-use architectures and familiar qualification packages for regulated environments.

Ultipor VF DV50 Junior (Small-Volume, Pilot, and Clinical Stages)

Ultipor VF DV50 Junior is designed for small volumes without compromising on virus retention principles. If you are validating conditions, handling high-value or low-availability material, or running early clinical supply, the compact form factor and balanced flow characteristics help you gather high-quality data and protect precious product.

In practice, teams use DV50 Junior for terminal or intermediate filtration, process characterization, and pre-commercial lots where every milliliter counts. It also helps model behavior before committing to larger formats, reducing scale-up surprises and smoothing regulatory documentation.

• Where it fits best: R&D to pilot, PPQ support, bridging studies, and niche biologics with limited upstream supply.

• Operational advantages: low hold-up volume, clear pressure/flow behavior at small scale, and straightforward comparability to larger elements.

• Workflow impact: faster iteration cycles, cleaner data for design-space decisions, and less variability during tech transfer.

Side-by-Side Selection Guide: Single-Use vs Multi-Use, Small-Scale vs Commercial

Choosing the right filter is about aligning product risk, facility model, and lifecycle stage. The matrix below summarizes core trade-offs so your team can converge on a defensible, documented choice and avoid over- or under-engineering your virus filtration step.

Attribute	Pegasus™ SV4 – Kleenpak™ Nova (Capsule)	Pegasus™ SV4 – Cartridge (Multi-Use)	Ultipor VF DV50 Junior
Best-fit stage	Pilot to commercial in single-use facilities	Commercial campaigns in stainless/multi-use skids	R&D, small-volume clinical, process characterization
Changeover & cleaning	No cleaning; fastest changeover	CIP/SIP per validated cycle	No cleaning; ideal for quick iteration
Throughput orientation	Scale-out with parallel capsules	Scale-up per train; high batch volumes	Low hold-up; accurate small-scale runs
Facility alignment	Single-use suites & hybrid lines	Stainless, multi-use architectures	Labs, pilot rooms, small clinical suites
Validation footprint	Lower (no cleaning validation)	Higher (cleaning & reuse validation)	Lower (method & model focus)
Typical drivers	Speed, flexibility, contamination control	Economics across many batches, skid parity	Material scarcity, data quality, PPQ support

How to use this table: start with your facility model (single-use vs multi-use), add process stage (R&D/clinical vs commercial), then apply operational constraints (timeline, cleaning validation, product availability). If two options remain viable, run a small design-of-experiments (DoE) on flux, pressure rise, and load to quantify the decision.

Integrating Virus Filtration into Downstream Purification

Virus filtration does not live in isolation; it should be tuned to the steps that precede and follow it. As you anchor filtration between clarification/chromatography and polishing/final fill, plan around pressure trajectories, fouling risk, and the impact of buffer choices. A thoughtful integration prevents surprises during PPQ and accelerates regulatory questions later.

Typical positioning in the train
Clarification → Capture/Polish Chromatography → Virus Filtration → Final Filtration/Fill. Keep shear-sensitive molecules in mind—precondition feeds to stabilize aggregates, and use hold-up-minimizing connections in single-use flow paths to improve overall recovery.

Practical integration tips

• Feed preparation: ensure consistent turbidity and tighten upstream hold specs to reduce early fouling and pressure spikes at the virus filter.

• Buffer strategy: qualify a buffer window that balances protein stability with filter compatibility; record exact conductivity/pH bands used in successful runs.

• Flux & pressure control: define a target flux with a conservative ramp; monitor ΔP in real time and document the intervention rules (pause, buffer swap, parallelize).

• Scalability: lock methods on the small format first (e.g., DV50 Junior), then confirm filter-area normalization and residence times when moving to larger SV4 elements.

• Documentation: keep a clean chain from model viruses/claims through lot-specific results; store raw data alongside reports to accelerate audits.

Summary & Purchasing Recommendations

Pegasus™ SV4 and Ultipor VF DV50 Junior cover the majority of virus filtration needs across development and commercial manufacturing. If your facility relies on single-use speed and frequent format changes, the Pegasus™ SV4 capsule streamlines turnover and validation. If you run long, repetitive campaigns on stainless skids, the cartridge format aligns with your reuse economics. When you need to conserve precious material or validate design space, Ultipor VF DV50 Junior provides small-scale clarity and defensible comparability data.

For teams still narrowing down the choice, a simple decision path works well:

1. Start from the facility: single-use → favor Pegasus™ SV4 capsule; multi-use → consider Pegasus™ SV4 cartridge.

2. Check your stage and volume: if small-volume development or clinical characterization is the focus, include DV50 Junior in your study.

3. Run a quick DoE: evaluate flux, pressure rise, and product recovery across two candidates. Choose the one that meets quality targets with the simplest operating window.

4. Lock documentation early: map your chosen element(s) to validation protocols and batch records so PPQ and regulatory responses are faster.