The liver is a primary target of drug- and chemical-induced toxicity. Liver injury contributes to numerous late-stage clinical failures and post-marketing drug withdrawals, highlighting the need for improved safety assessment strategies to protect patients and prevent costly setbacks.
A comprehensive safety assessment process that supports the selection and progression of the most promising drug candidates should include the early discontinuation of highly toxic compounds, thorough characterization of human and animal responses, and detailed investigation of the underlying mechanisms of toxicity.
InSphero’s 3D In Vitro Liver Safety Platform has been developed with the needs of the safety toxicologists in mind: 3D in vitro liver models with high physiological relevance, short turn-around times, capable of handling larger compound sets when needed, and high reproducibility decision-enabling datasets.
Whether you require early-stage hepatotoxicity screening, in-depth mechanistic studies, or species-specific assessments, we deliver effective, reliable solutions to assess the hepatotoxic potential of your drug candidates. Leveraging our state-of-the-art 3D InSight™ Liver Microtissues from both human and preclinical species, we offer an extensive range of standardized and customized in vitro services to meet your specific safety assessment needs.
3D InSight™ Liver Microtissues - The gold standard in Human-Relevant 3D in vitro models
3D InSight™ Human Liver Microtissues produced in 2025
3D InSight™ Species-Specific Liver Microtissues produced in 2025
Drug candidates tested in 3D InSight™ Liver Microtissues at InSphero
drug developers and 10 universities used 3D InSight™ Liver microtissues in 2025
Our 3D InSight™ Liver Microtissues are self-assembled liver spherical models composed of primary hepatocytes and non-parenchymal liver cells free of exogenous matrices.
Available in Akura™ 96– and 384-well Spheroid Microplates, they are automation-compatible and seamlessly integrate into your drug discovery workflow – from high-throughput screening of large compound libraries early in drug development to detailed, mechanistic evaluation of selected candidates.
From early hazard flagging to in-depth mechanistic and translational studies, we provide a complete in vitro liver safety toxicology workflow under one roof.
By using 3D InSight™ Liver Microtissues as the core model, we enable seamless phase-to-phase transitions and deliver coherent, high-quality, and relevant datasets that support confident decision-making at every stage. These early “Go/No-Go” decisions are essential to managing risk and controlling the escalating costs of later-stage clinical studies. Trusted by leading global companies, our liver safety solutions span the entire workflow.
Drug-induced toxicity often affects multiple organs. Complement your liver safety assessment with predictive gastrointestinal toxicity testing using 3D InSight™ Gastrointestinal Organoids.
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Identify and screen hepatotoxic liabilities early using 3D InSight™ Liver Microtissues, proven to flag 8/10 withdrawn FDA-approved drugs.
Gain deeper hepatotoxicity insights with 10+ established assays and omics approaches, covering bile acid transport, CYP450 activity, mitochondrial function, inflammation, and more.
Select from 5 Species-Specific liver models to guide in vivo studies and de-risk preclinical findings for human translation.
Enhance clinical risk assessment with human-relevant liver model data tailored to specific patient populations.
Produced under standardized processes and pharma-grade QC, 3D InSight™ Liver Microtissues offer the scalability, reproducibility, and robustness required for drug discovery and development. This foundation enables us to provide a comprehensive range of services to address your specific program needs.
Accelerate your early liver safety assessment with 3D InSight™ Liver Microtissues. Evaluate multiple concentrations across replicates and time points and gain actionable insights from cellular ATP IC50 values and ATP dose response curves and a detailed report.
Discover large sets of FDA-approved drugs screened using 3D InSight liver microtissues: Fäs et al., 2025 · Proctor et al., 2017
Figure: 7-day dose–response curve of 3D InSight™ Human Liver Microtissues treated with chlorpromazine. ATP IC₅₀ values from 40+ independent runs demonstrate the high reproducibility of this assay.
Gain a deep understanding of hepatotoxicity with our standardized and established mechanistic assays and transcriptomics studies. Reveal key mechanisms from bile acid transport, CYP450 activity, mitochondrial function, steatosis, and inflammation, helping you design safer compounds and make confident preclinical decisions.
Discover published examples of 3D InSight™ Liver microtissues used to decipher mechanism of toxicity: Bajaj et al., 2025 · Shinozawa et al., 2025 · Hendriks et al., 2016 Bruderer et al., 2015 · Rowan-Carroll et al., 2025 · Rowan-Carroll et al., 2021 Albrecht et al., 2019
Figure: 7-day dose–response of 3D InSight™ Human Liver Microtissues treated with aflatoxin B1, with or without co-treatment with 1-aminobenzotriazole (ABT), a broad-spectrum CYP450 inhibitor. Modulation of aflatoxin B1 cytotoxicity demonstrates CYP450 involvement in its toxicity.
Toxicity can differ between animals and humans, making cross-species evaluation essential for drug safety assessment. From standard DILI testing to mechanistic assays and transcriptomic studies, use species-specific (rat, monkey, or dog) 3D liver models to flag potential risks early, de-risk preclinical findings, and evaluate translatability to humans.
Discover how liver microtissues help derisking findings in preclinical species: Bajaj et al., 2025 , Subbiah et al., 2023
Figure: 7-day dose–response curve of 3D InSight™ Species-Specific Liver Microtissues treated with fialuridine. ATP measurements (mean IC₅₀ ± 95% CI) reveal human-specific cytotoxicity, aligning with in vivo findings.
Check out our comprehensive standardized assays for your needs
Our 3D species-specific liver models produced from primary hepatocytes and non-parenchymal cells closely replicate in vivo liver physiology, offering up to twice the sensitivity of 2D models and enabling more reliable insights.
Covering human DILl prediction and mechanistic testing across species, our platform is designed to de-risk your drug discovery pipeline and reduce clinical attrition.
Multidimensional Analysis High-density culture formats enable multi-timepoint treatments and flexible measurement of hepatic biomarkers and in-depth omics studies.
Our standardized, routinely performed workflows deliver rapid data insights, enabling quick go/no-go decisions and reducing the risk of costly late-stage surprises.
Widely adopted by drug developers, our platform is backed up by peer-reviewed publications confirming its relevance for liver safety assessment in drug & discovery pipelines.
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