GI-Tract modelling collaboration

The Netherlands-based organisation for Applied Scientific Research (TNO) has signed an agreement with GlaxoSmithKline to collaborate in the development and use of TNO's in vitro​ models of the human gastrointestinal (or "GI") tract, and so significantly reduce the number of animal tests conducted in pharmaceutical product development.

Following ten years of research and development TNO, a contract research organisation, developed an artificial (in vitro​) model of the human gastrointestinal tract, baptised 'TNO's Gastro-Intestinal Model', or 'TIM'. The TIM system, that models all of the critical physiological aspects of the GI tract, has already been used in the development of novel food products and food supplements. GSK will now apply this system to pharmaceutical research and development.

Under the terms of the agreement, TNO and GSK will collaborate in the areas of bioavailability, bioaccessibility and formulation testing. TNO will install a number of TIM systems at GSK sites in the UK and the US and will provide training, maintenance and consultancy services to GSK for an initial period of five years. Financial details were not disclosed.