Bespoke in vivo platform to advance therapeutics to clinic.

RxBioscience Preclinical

Our bespoke platform enables the advancement of preclinical endpoint study from in-life testing through to histopathological analysis. Highly agile and tailored to specific scientific need, we cover a wide range of disease areas and therapeutic approaches.

Our Approach

CRITICAL EVALUATION OF AVAILABLE ANIMAL MODELS

  • Evaluate the mechanism bringing about the disease state, and their potential translatability.
  • Anticipate interactions of potential therapeutic with model.
  • Review previous data and experience to inform approach.
  • Engage with internal and external network of experts to guide selection.

BESPOKE MODEL DEVELOPMENT WHERE REQUIRED

  • Conduct pilot studies to determine performance of model in our hands.
  • Optimisation to increase translatability.
  • Confirm reproducibility.
  • Enhance the therapeutic window for the desired endpoints.

PREVIOUS PROGRAMMES

  • Oncology (xenograft, orthotopic, metastatic)
  • Inflammation (sepsis, lupus, osteoarthritis, IBD, renal disease, allergic asthma)
  • Bleeding disorders (Haemophilia A and B, Glanzmann’s thrombasthenia).
  • Cardiovascular and metabolic (NAFLD/NASH, pulmonary arterial hypertension)
  • Neurological (stroke, neurodegeneration)

Transgenic animals

For transgenic animal lines we have extensive experience in:

  • Generation
  • Sourcing
  • Characterisation

Animals are housed across a number of high-welfare, high-health status animal units in the greater Cambridge area.

Test agent profiling

A range of capabilities for the profiling of potential therapeutics in vivo:

  • Pharmacokinetics/ pharmacodynamics
  • Tolerability
  • Biomarker collection and analysis

Performed by our dedicated team of experienced scientists on-site.

Bespoke disease models

Extensive experience in model development and disease induction through chemical, physical, or genetic means.

Disease areas include:

  • Oncology
  • Inflammatory
  • Cardiovascular
  • Metabolic disorders
  • Bleeding disorders
  • Neurological disorders

Efficacy

Flexible, agile approach to study design, with in-life real-time decision-making.

Access to state-of-the-art in vivo equipment across our network for a variety of in vivo readouts.

Fully integrated in-life and ex vivo analysis within our biology and bioanalysis teams.

Bespoke staining to answer model- and target-specific questions.

Our bespoke capabilities enable the advancement of standalone or preclinical endpoint study through histopathological analysis. Cell type markers, cell turnover indicators and tinctorial stains can be incorporated into a customised panel to answer key questions.

Sample processing

High quality dissection and necropsy skills

Conventional tissue processing:

  • FFPE
  • Frozen samples

Production of high quality microscope slides:

  • Cryotomy
  • Microtomy

IHC/IF

Tinctorial stains, for example:

  • Haematoxylin & Eosin (H&E)
  • Periodic Acid Schiff’s (PAS)
  • PAS with amylase digestion (PASD)
  • Picrosirius red (PSR)

Bespoke chromogenic and fluorescent IHC to label proteins of interest, for example:

  • Cytokeratin
  • 𝜶-SMA
  • CD3

Analysis

Pathologist interpretation of slides, including morphometric analysis

  • In vivo model validation
  • Target expression validation
  • Disease profiling
  • Compound efficacy assessment
  • Toxicology and safety evaluation