Press Releases
Promega and Celsis In Vitro Technologies to Offer More Reliable Solutions for ADME/Tox Testing in Primary Hepatocytes
MADISON, WISCONSIN (February 9, 2009)
Promega Corp. and Baltimore, Md.-based Celsis In Vitro
Technologies (Celsis IVT) will take the trial and guess work
out of ADME/Tox testing in primary hepatocytes. Promega will
co-market their bioluminescent ADME-Tox assays with Celsis’
extensive line of high quality cryopreserved plateable
hepatocytes. Under the agreement, Celsis will pre-qualify
lots of cryoplateable hepatocytes for use with specific
P450-Glo CYP Assays to study cytochrome P450 gene induction
and inhibition. In addition, Celsis will also validate
cryopreserved lots of hepatocytes for use with Promega
GSH-Glo Glutathione Assay for investigating mechanisms of
hepatotoxicity.
”Combining validated biologic components with Promega’s
ultra-sensitive and dynamic luminescence assay detection
technology is a significant benefit to scientists,” said
Philip M. Vorwald, vice president and general manager of
Celsis IVT. “Our research has confirmed the higher
predictive value and accuracy of the combined assay for
identifying adverse side-effects in new chemical entities,”
he said. “Plus, it’s significantly faster than traditional
studies.”
Determining whether a particular lot of hepatocytes will
work for a given application is time-consuming and costly.
Much of the effort involves trial and error. Even when a
suitable lot of hepatocytes is identified, current LC/MS
technologies for measuring gene expression, enzyme activity
or metabolite formation are expensive or involve lengthy
incubations times that often require several days to
process. This collaborative effort between Promega and
Celsis IVT will enable scientists to quickly and easily
identify and select both products that have been validated
to work together, saving valuable time and resources,
increasing efficiency and leading to the faster development
of safe drugs.
“Secondary screeners in particular are looking for validated
ADME/Tox solutions that are more predictive.” said Andy
Bertera, vice president of marketing at Promega. “Having our
ADME/Tox reagents pre-qualified for use with Celsis IVT’s
extensive line of cryoplateable hepatocytes provides the
kind of ease and quality to scientists that is always our
goal at Promega. This collaboration will take the guesswork
out of ADME testing using primary hepatocyte”.
The companies are collaborating on scientific presentations
and publications demonstrating effective applications of the
validated tools for ADME/Tox studies.
About Promega
Promega Corporation is a leader in
providing innovative solutions and technical support to the life
sciences industry. The company's 2,000 products enable
scientists worldwide to advance their knowledge in genomics,
proteomics, cellular analysis, molecular diagnostics and human
identification. Founded in 1978, the company is headquartered in
Madison, WI, USA with branches in 14 countries and over 50
global distributors. For more information about Promega, visit
www.promega.com
About Celsis In Vitro Technologies
Celsis In Vitro Technologies (Celsis IVT) helps companies
reduce the time and cost of drug development by supplying in
vitro testing products to the pharmaceutical and
biotechnology industries for screening drug compounds early
in the discovery process. Celsis IVT is one of three
divisions of Celsis International plc, a world leading
provider of innovative life science products and laboratory
services to industry. The company is listed on the London
Stock Exchange (CEL.L). More information is online at
www.celsis.com.
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