InSphero, a spin-out of ETH Zurich and Zurich University, has entered a collaboration agreement with Protea Biosciences. The deal will see the two companies combine each other’s 3D technologies.
InSphero’s technology allows in vitro toxicology and efficacy studies. Its 3D organotypic microtissues provide models for liver, pancreas, brain and tumours, which provide a much higher level of accuracy to predict the effects of drug candidates than 2D cell cultures.
The partnership will allow InSphero and Protea to create 3D molecular profiles for tissue characterisation, drug metabolism and drug distribution. The two companies are hoping these profiles will form the basis for a range of new products and services they can sell to pharmaceuticals and biotechs.
Stephen Turner, chief executive at Protea, said: “The understanding of disease and the development of new pharmaceuticals continues to be an enormous challenge, one that requires new technologies. We believe that InSphero’s 3D microtissues deliver a new level of insight and predictability to the drug development process. We are honored to be working with InSphero’s team of scientists and to have the opportunity to apply our Laesi direct molecular imaging technology to the analysis of their 3D microtissues.”
Jan Lichtenberg, chief executive and co-founder at InSphero, added: “The Laesi technology increases the power of mass spectrometry, and is uniquely suited to meet the needs of researchers using our 3D microtissues. The ability to reconstruct the molecular profile of a tissue in three dimensions, including endogenous proteins, drugs, and compound metabolites, will facilitate a deeper characterization of 3D cell models, and open doors to novel applications that can further enhance their utility in drug discovery and development.”
