InSphero and FDA's NCTR Publish the Largest Benchmarking Study Demonstrating Early Detection of Liver Toxicity Using 3D Liver Microtissues

"Our work with the FDA's NCTR is a breakthrough in liver toxicology research and sets a new industry standard," said Dr. Jan Lichtenberg, CEO and Co-founder of InSphero. "The 152 FDA-approved compounds used for this study had all undergone classical preclinical and clinical safety testing, including studies in animals. Despite this, some compounds were later withdrawn due to liver safety concerns. We were able to correctly flag 80% of these withdrawn compounds using a cost-efficient, highly biologically relevant, and fast in vitro assay. This provides a promising path to reducing attrition and improving safety testing in the future."

Driving Industry Transformation with Human-Based Safety Testing

As the FDA Modernization Act 2.0 encourages a shift toward human-based in vitro testing, this study solidifies InSphero's 3D InSight™ Human Liver Microtissues as a cornerstone technology for modern safety assessment. By providing accurate data early in the drug discovery process, InSphero's platform reduces reliance on animal testing and directs resources towards safer, more effective drug candidates.

"Our 3D InSight™ Liver Safety Platform integrates biological accuracy with the cost-efficiency and automation-readiness that industrial applications demand," said Dr. Madhu Nag, Chief Scientific Officer at InSphero. "We're enabling drug developers to make informed decisions earlier in the development process with a profound impact on reducing late-stage failures and accelerating the delivery of safer drugs to market."

Unmatched Economic and Predictive Impact

The combination of predictive accuracy and scalability is poised to deliver significant economic advantages. By flagging hepatotoxic compounds earlier, drug developers could save millions in preclinical costs while improving R&D productivity and compound safety. This study also demonstrates the reproducibility of InSphero's liver model, ensuring reliability at scale.

"Human liver microtissues offer a highly physiological model with the same throughput as traditional 2D cell cultures, but with far greater biological relevance," said Dr. Bruno Filippi, Vice-President of Liver Safety at InSphero. "This positions our platform as a powerful tool for early-stage safety testing, helping drug developers identify toxic compounds before costly animal trials or clinical studies, leading to significant cost savings."

For more information on InSphero's 3D InSight™ Liver Safety Solutions or to access the InSphero/ FDA peer-reviewed publication, please visit:

https://insphero.com/resource/hepatotoxicity-assessment-insphero-fda-nctr/ 

About InSphero

InSphero is the only 3D in vitro model company with the platform and expertise to modernize drug discovery in a way that empowers researchers to reach their full potential. Our innovative spheroid-based models allow more effective, safe therapies to contact the clinic through superior robustness, reliability, reproducibility, and scalability. InSphero's goal is to inspire the next generation of breakthrough therapies through customer obsession, commitment to innovation, and the model of excellence.

Learn more at insphero.com.  Follow the company on LinkedIn, X and Instagram, and sign up for the Scientific Newsletter.

Media Contacts
Rositsa Hadzhipetrova
Head of Marketing, InSphero
[email protected]

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/insphero-and-fdas-nctr-publish-the-largest-benchmarking-study-demonstrating-early-detection-of-liver-toxicity-using-3d-liver-microtissues-302276827.html