The new offering, which is known as LeadScreen, combines predictive toxicology assays and pharmakinetics assessments with pharmacology analysis and genotoxicity tests.

The suite also includes analyses-based on the DevTox human embryonic stem cell (hES) technology that CIT distributes on behalf of developer Stemina under a deal agreed in February .

CIT CSO Roy Forster told Outsouticng-pharma.com that streamlining the testing process and customer choice were the key drivers for development of the LeedScreen service.

“These services are grouped under a common LeadScreen banner in order to provide clients with an easily identifiable range of predictive and screening toxicology services aimed to support their choice of "lead" candidate drugs that will go into development.”

Smaller quantities, quicker results

Forster explained that CIT has developed new study designs and operational models to optimise the amount of information the tests produce and minimise the number of test animals or quantity of sample required.

“Availability of test item can often be a constraint during the discovery and lead selection phases of drug development,” he explained, adding that LeadScreen can operate with just 200mg of sample.

“A further differentiating feature of the LeadScreen program” he continued “is that we offer this entire range of services from one provider, CIT, with a maximum 14 day turnaround,” adding that, as far as CIT is aware, no competing services offer the same range of data with this timing.