Pharma services firm Althea Technologies has spun-out an independent company through which it plans to commercialise its genetic testing technology via the provision of a range of laboratory services and gene expression products for use in monitoring and managing cancer treatment.
Althea Diagnostics will use its technology for quantitative measurement of multiple genes in a single reaction, as well as bioinformatics applications designed to speed development of valuable molecular diagnostic tests.
Company co-founder Dr François Ferré said: "This is truly a situation of technology and timing drawing us into the vibrant space of molecular diagnostics and biomarker development. The pull of this exciting market opportunity is just too strong to resist, so we are doing what good companies do - focusing these resources as a specialised entity with a clear business focus, proprietary tools, an ongoing revenue stream and collaborations with leading researchers in the oncology field".
In addition, the new company said it will continue to provide laboratory services for biopharma firms and contract research organisations, including its Express Pathway service suite, which it described as "unique", as it allows drug developers to identify and shape promising molecules while developing the companion diagnostic, "which is increasingly required in the field."
Recently, Tepnel has launched a new range of biopharmaceutical services aimed at the biopharm industry for the testing of biopharmaceuticals to support the discovery, preclinical and clinical stages of drug development in conjunction with postmarketing and batch release.
The firm is already an established provider of bioanalytical, microbiology and analytical chemistry services, and said it can now include a broader range of protein analysis methods to suit all customer requirements, including ELISA, SDS-Page, Immunoblotting and chromatographic techniques.
A company spokesperson told Outsourcing-Pharma.com that the new testing range includes method development and validation, batch release testing, pharmacopoeial testing, bioanalysis, stability testing and biomarker identification.
In other news, gene-to-preclinical discovery services firm BioFocus DPI has announced the launch of a new ADME/PK Laboratory services as well as the structure-activity relationships for drug optimization (StarDrop) software platform.
ADME/PK Laboratory is the new name for its expanded DPI ADMEnsa lab service, which, in addition to providing in vitro services, also extends beyond early ADME to incorporate in vivo pharmacokinetics and bioanalysis.
"These capabilities provide key information to interpret a new drug's potential for achieving the required ADME profile in man," the firm said.
Matthew Segall, BioFocus' senior director of ADMET added that the expanded service will offer customers a full range of in vitro and in vivo services that can be "tailored to meet the specific needs of a discovery program".
Meanwhile, the new StarDrop software is an upgrade to BioFocus' ADMEnsa interactive package and has been expanded beyond the prediction of ADME properties to include interactive data visualisation and compound modeling "for effective decision making".
"Its unique compound prioritisation capabilities integrate in silico predictions with in vitro and in vivo data to enable the design, prioritisation and selection of compounds with an optimal balance of properties at every stage of drug discovery," said the company.
"Through StarDrop, we aim to facilitate effective decision making by creating an intuitive environment for the design and identification of compounds that are likely to succeed in downstream drug discovery and development", said Segall.
