Drug Lifecycle Visualisation Tool – In Vivo
Somatotrangenic bioimaging is a malleable platform technology for continued, quantifiable analysis of drug therapy, metabolism or toxicity in small animals.
| Date added | 18 Jan 2008 |
|---|---|
| Reference number | 55-002 |
| Status | Two UK patent applications have been filed in March 2007 to cover this technology. |
| Availability | Licensing or investment |
| References | [Blank] |
The technology and its advantages
Researchers at UCL have developed somatotrangenic bioimaging (SB), a novel platform technology that allows researchers to track the genetic consequences of a drug therapy. This is achieved by genetically modifying model organisms to visibly respond to drug metabolism, allowing the user to generate streaming data prior to, during and after a drug application, and to assess therapeutic consequences and/or adverse effects in existing or novel disease models.
Molecular consequences of drug therapy are measured non-invasively in vivo at the level of gene transcription. Readout is in real-time and analysis can be carried out throughout the life of the animal, allowing repeat administration analyses and long-term studies. Moreover, this technology provides an in vivo drug assay system that incorporates reduction and refinement strategies, creating a technology that is cost effective whilst generating superior data streams.
Market opportunity
The target market for this technology is drug companies who are interested in obtaining real-time in vivo images of their disease of interest as well as how specific molecules of interest interact with specific organs.
Current conventional drug screening is time consuming and expensive, with limited biological readouts. This leads to expensive, late-stage market failures. There is a need for in vivo models which would allow the pharmaceutical industry to monitor drug process, visualising the full drug lifecycle. The SB technology has the potential to:
• Reduce costs, due to its simple non-invasive monitoring process
• Improve accuracy of results, leading to an increase in likelihood of market success
• Maximise the information generated from drug testing in animals, thereby improving the ethical use of animals for this purpose
Further information
Please contact Dr Richard Fagan, UCL Business PLC
T +44 (0)20 7679 9000 E r.fagan@uclb.com
