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news.HemoShear, a US-based human disease biology firm, has entered into research collaboration with Medivir, a Swedish pharmaceutical firm focused on infectious diseases.
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The deal will explore the application of HemoShear’s platform in an undisclosed area of strategic interest.
Initially, HemoShear will characterize biological mechanisms and the effects of drug candidates on liver tissue using its human liver system, which accurately replicates in vivo physiological conditions, providing more precise and definitive assessment of targets and drug candidates, drug-induced changes in biology and pharmacological responses.
HemoShear co-founder and chief scientific officer Brett Blackman said meaningful improvements in the safety and efficacy of drug candidates are possible when they are evaluated and designed using systems that more closely replicate human physiology.
"Our collaboration with Medivir will allow them to develop a deeper understanding of the mechanisms of action underlying compounds that target the liver," Blackman said.
The deal will also leverage and contribute to the set of drug exposure data HemoShear is creating as part of an ongoing program funded by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), a division of National Institutes of Health (NIH).
The program started in late 2013 is intended to show that use of more human-relevant systems can more accurately predict the safety of new drug candidates well before the costly clinical stages of drug development.
The company is also collaborating with other major pharmaceutical and biotechnology firm to discover drug candidates that target the liver and understand unexpected causes of liver toxicity.