WESTBURY, NY - Jun 3, 2019 - BioIVT, a leading provider of research models and services for drug and diagnostic development, today announced that it will be hosting a HEPATOPAC Meeting at the AC Hotel by Marriott, San Francisco Airport/Oyster Point Waterfront on June 7. Presentations will show how the HEPATOPAC system can be employed in lead selection programs to investigate new drug candidates’ ADME-Tox profiles and assess their efficacy.

“BioIVT is a strong proponent of knowledge sharing and we are excited to have this opportunity to highlight several recent research advances made using our HEPATOPAC cultures. In addition to strong presentations, this meeting will also provide attendees with an opportunity to network with their peers and discuss potential collaborations,” said Ron Laethem, PhD, BioIVT lead, ADME-Tox Services, and one of the meeting presenters.

BioIVT’s HEPATOPAC system is an in vitro bioengineered co-culture of primary hepatocytes and fibroblasts, which is used extensively for liver-based safety, metabolism, and efficacy evaluations of small molecule drug candidates due to its longevity and close resemblance to the in vivo liver.

Our keynote speaker, Salman Khetani, PhD, associate professor, bioengineering at the University of Illinois-Chicago, will discuss how engineered liver cultures can help reduce drug attrition and drug-induced liver injury in patients. He will also describe how they can model important elements of human liver disease, such as fibrosis.

Dr. Laethem will provide an overview of the US Food and Drug Administration’s In Vitro Drug-drug Interaction (DDI) Guidance, and discuss how novel tools and methods, such as HEPATOPAC cultures, can help solve problems that may arise during a drug development program, which are outside the scope of the Guidance.

Scott Heyward, MS, director, R&D and scientific affairs at BioIVT, will describe how small-interfering RNAs (siRNA) were delivered into the hepatocytes in HEPATOPAC cultures and enabled siRNA-mediated gene knockdown in a proof-of-concept study. This technique could help to elucidate hepatocellular mechanisms in several research areas, aiding in reaction phenotyping assessment, and in vitro safety and efficacy studies for novel RNA therapeutics.

Interested parties can register for this complimentary event here.

About BioIVT

BioIVT, formerly BioreclamationIVT, is a leading global provider of research models and value-added research services for drug discovery and development. We specialize in control and disease-state biospecimens including human and animal tissues, cell products, blood, and other biofluids. Our unmatched portfolio of clinical specimens directly supports precision medicine research and the effort to improve patient outcomes by coupling comprehensive clinical data with donor samples. Our PHASEZERO® Research Services team works collaboratively with clients to provide target and biomarker validation, phenotypic assays to characterize novel therapeutics, clinical assay development and in vitro hepatic modeling solutions. And as the premier supplier of hepatic products, including hepatocytes and subcellular fractions, BioIVT enables scientists to better understand the pharmacokinetics and drug metabolism of newly-discovered compounds and their effects on disease processes. By combining our technical expertise, exceptional customer service, and unparalleled access to biological specimens, BioIVT serves the research community as a trusted partner in elevating science. For more information, please visit www.bioivt.com or follow the company on Twitter @BioIVT.