SINGAPORE April 08, 2016 – InvitroCue (ASX:IVQ), the in vitro cell-based assaying company, today announce the global launch of its proprietary Cellacyl® assay to monitor and screen carboxylated drug compounds for acyl glucuronides in liver-derived cells (hepatocytes), enabling pharmaceutical companies to streamline compound-ranking during the early phases of drug discovery. Cellacyl is a unique in vitro assay which was developed by InvitroCue as a fast and cost effective screen for detecting acyl glucuronide generated by carboxylated drug compounds metabolised in hepatocyctes, making InvitroCue the first and only global provider with this assay.
Carboxylated drugs, such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID), are one of the most commonly prescribed and over-the-counter drugs. Around 25% of NSAID drugs were withdrawn from marketplace due to adverse drug reactions associated with reactive acyl glucuronide metabolites. Pharmaceutical companies spend millions of dollars to develop a new drug. The development cost can be reduced with Cellacyl where the formation of reactive acyl glucuronides from carboxylated drugs linked to liver toxicity responses can be evaluated by an in vitro dye which allows for a rapid turnaround time.
According to Dr. Steven Fang, Executive Director of InvitroCue, “This new assay is another milestone in our efforts towards reducing the cost of drug discovery by providing a quick and accurate screening assay for reactivity of carboxylated drugs.”
“The deployment of a new assay in our cell-based business demonstrates InvitroCue’s commitment to providing our biopharmaceutical customers with the best in vitro assays and solutions for compounds ranking,” said Dr Michael McMillian, Head of Scientific Affairs.
InvitroCue had a successful first launch of Cellacyl at the Society of Toxicology 55th Annual Meeting 2016 and ToxExpo where the company received trade enquiries.
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For more information, please contact:
InvitroCue Limited
Yip Ai San, VP Corporate Development
11 Biopolis Way, Helios
#12-07/08
65-6460 0496
yas@invitrocue.com
@InvitroCue
About InvitroCue
InvitroCue provides innovative products and services in the fields of in vitro DMPK, in vitro toxicology and digital pathology utilizing cell-based models and image analytics. InvitroCue’s technologies have been developed and validated together with leading pharmaceutical companies and scientific collaborators. The company uses in vitro technologies and assays to support better decision-making in preclinical drug studies and clinical research. Headquartered in Singapore and was spun out of Singapore, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), InvitroCue currently operates in Singapore and China. www.invitrocue.com
InvitroCue is listed on Australian Stock Exchange under ASX code “IVQ”.
About Cellacyl
In hepatocytes and HepG2 cells, the carboxylated compound enters the cell is glucuronidated and the 1-O-compound–β-D-glucuronide is pumped out from the cell in a different compound-specific rate. Additionally, the 1-O-compound–β-D-glucuronide may be handled differently within the cell, particularly if metabolized to other reactive species.
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Email contact@invitrocue.com for sales enquiry.