InSphero, US Congressional Leaders Discuss Technologies to Reduce Animal Research
US legislators and InSphero experts discuss benefits of human-derived 3D microtissues for more efficient drug development and less animal testing.
Schlieren, Switzerland - Sept 21, 2016 – InSphero AG, the leading supplier of easy-to-use solutions for production, culture, and assessment of organotypic 3D cell culture models, met with members of the United States House of Representatives last Thursday to discuss advances in in vitro research technology that can help reduce the use of animals in research. The High-Tech Health Research Expo, organized by Pennsylvania Representative Tom Marino (PA-10), gave InSphero and other life science companies the opportunity to present their technologies to Congressional leaders working to reduce the use of animal testing in the United States. PDF file
InSphero’s flagship products, 3D InSight® Human Liver Microtissues and Human Islet Microtissues, are produced using cells obtained from human donor tissue, which is broken down and reassembled into 3D microtissues using InSphero 3D Select™ Technology. Microtissues are delivered to researchers in a 96-well plate, one microtissue per well, allowing the simultaneous testing of multiple drugs on a standardized, human-derived tissue. Compared to the same cells grown in 2D, 3D microtissues more accurately reflect the native biology of in vivo human tissue, and can be cultured for over four weeks, enabling long-term testing of drug exposure over weeks instead of hours.
Dr. Jan Lichtenberg, InSphero CEO and Co-founder, says the use of more in vivo-like, human-derived 3D model systems is already making a positive impact on drug development pipelines in the pharmaceutical industry. Lichtenberg says, “Our 3D models enable researchers to verify a drug’s efficacy and predict potential toxicity and side-effects using more biologically relevant cell based assays. An additional benefit is less dependency on animal models, the use of which is not only ethically charged, but can also add significant cost, delay time to market, and often fail to accurately reflect how humans will respond to a drug.”
Congressman Tom Marino, an advocate for reducing the use of animal testing for research purposes, says the event accomplished its objective of bringing together legislators and technology providers with a common aim. Marino states, “It was a pleasure to host and recognize InSphero as one of the companies who specialize in alternative, non-animal testing methods. The more stringent restrictions on animal testing imposed in Europe helped InSphero to emerge as a leader in the field of human-based tissue models. They have now established roots in the United States, and are a leading solution provider in the global cause toward developing better drugs while using fewer animals.”
InSphero has worked actively with global organizations such as the Center for Alternatives to Animal Testing (CAAT) and the European Society for Alternatives to Animal Testing (EUSAAT) to advance the use of better in vitro models. Along with CAAT, the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS), and Promega Corporation, InSphero has co-organized the New Frontiers in 3D Cell Culture-based Screening Technologies Conference, which will be held October 13, 2016 in Baltimore, MD.
For more information about InSphero, visit www.insphero.com.
InSphero contact
Dr. Randy Strube
Director of Global Marketing
Phone +1 800-779-7558 ext. 102
randy.strube@insphero.com
Dr. Jens M. Kelm
CSO and Co-founder, InSphero AG
Phone +41 44 5150490
jens.kelm@insphero.com
About InSphero
InSphero provides superior biological relevance to in vitro testing with its easy-to-use solutions for production, culture and assessment of more organotypic 3D cell culture models. The company's patented 3D cell culture platforms and methods enable large-scale, reproducible production of a broad range of assay-ready 3D InSight™ Microtissues derived from liver, pancreas, tumor, heart, brain and skin. These models and contract research services utilizing them help to identify promising drugs and toxic liabilities with greater predictivity at early development stages, enabling better pre-clinical decision making, saving development cost, and shortening time to market. InSphero's technologies drive significant findings in peer-reviewed journals, through collaborative projects such as EU-ToxRisk and HeCaToS, and validation in the world's largest government institutions and pharmaceutical, chemical and cosmetics companies. This 3D know-how is now also being applied in the diagnostics field to aid development of personalized chemotherapeutic strategies for the treatment of cancer.
Founded in 2009, the privately held company is headquartered in Schlieren, Switzerland with subsidiaries in the United States (Brunswick, ME) and Waldshut, Germany. It has been recognized for its scientific and commercial achievements with a number of national and international awards.
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InSphero Granted Hanging Drop Patent in United States
Images
Contact marketing@insphero.com for high resolution images.
Photo caption 1 (left)
InSphero aims to improve in vitro testing by facilitating the development and use of organotypic 3D cell culture models for safety and efficacy testing. Top left image: InSphero’s patented GravityPLUS® Hanging Drop System. Subsequent images (in clockwise order): assay-ready 3D liver, pancreatic islet, tumor, skin, and brain microtissues.
Photo caption 2 (center)
InSphero representatives met with Congressman Tom Marino (PA-10) at the High-Tech Health Research Expo held September 15 in Washington, DC. Pictured left to right: Dr. Randy Strube (InSphero Director of Global Marketing), Congressman Marino, and Dr. Brian Manning (InSphero East Coast Director of Business Development).
Photo caption 3 (right)
InSphero representatives met with Congresswoman Dina Titus (NV-3) at the High-Tech Health Research Expo held September 15 in Washington, DC. Pictured left to right: Dr. Brian Manning (InSphero East Coast Director of Business Development), Dr. Judi Wardwell-Swanson (InSphero East Coast Field Application Scientist), Congresswoman Titus, and Dr. Randy Strube (InSphero Director of Global Marketing).
