CN Bio receives £180k to develop alternative to animal pharmacokinetic studies
CN Bio has received £180k in Innovate UK funding to develop a human-relevant approach to studying how potential drugs are absorbed, processed and cleared by the body.
The project, delivered in partnership with the National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research, will explore a workflow combining data from organ-on-a-chip systems with computer-based pharmacokinetic modelling.
The work aligns with the UK Government's ambition to reduce the use of dogs and non-human primates in dedicated pharmacokinetic studies by 35% by 2030.
Pharmacokinetic studies are used during drug development to understand how a compound is absorbed, distributed and cleared, as well as the levels to which it is exposed within the body. Despite advances in new methodologies, pharmaceutical researchers still rely on animal studies to produce their information.
CN Bio's project will build on its dual-organ Gut/Liver microphysiological system, which is designed to recreate aspects of human tissue biology. Data generated by the system will be used to derive pharmacokinetic parameters, which will then be combined with physiologically-based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) modelling.
The aim is to provide researchers with data from a human-relevant laboratory model and translate it into predictions that can be interpreted in a clinical context.
The CN Bio project will also investigate whether a kidney model can be incorporated into the platform to provide information on renal clearance and other excretion-related processes.
The company will additionally explore the use of liquid handling automation to improve throughput and reproducibility, while working with contract research organisations to identify the technical and operational requirements for wider adoption of the workflow.
Dr Yassen Abbas, biology group leader at CN Bio, said: "We're proud to have been selected for this project by Innovate UK, an exciting opportunity to advance the UK Government target to reduce dedicated PK studies using dogs or non-human primates by 35%.
"Understanding pharmacokinetics is crucial to determining a drug candidate's efficacy and potential side effects, and this project represents a valuable new route to unlock earlier, human-relevant insights into drug disposition, ultimately supporting faster, more effective drug development."
CN Bio said its microphysiological systems are designed to provide insights into drug safety, efficacy and pharmacokinetics, helping researchers make earlier decisions during discovery and development.
The Innovate UK-funded work will focus on developing and validating a standardised workflow which combines laboratory-generated data with in silico modelling, with the aim of providing a more practical alternative to some animal-based pharmacokinetic studies. Pic: Pranidchakan Boonrom
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