The collaboration aims to improve the efficiency of drug discovery and development by increasing the predictive validity of next-generation preclinical models and progressively reducing reliance on animal testing.
In what is this first-of-its kind co-development and collaboration program both companies intend to integrate cutting edge organoid biology models with advanced semiconductor hardware, incorporating fit-for-purpose biosensing and microfluidic capabilities, all validated for use in Merck’s Healthcare laboratory setting and globally supported by Merck’s Life Science business unit.
This approach aims to provide scientists with the ability to elucidate time relevant insights from individual organ health to a multi-organ connected system, paving the way for more accurate and efficient drug development processes.
Central to this disruptive hardware development partnership is the jointly developed highly adaptable modular system, facilitating expansion from single to multi-organ configurations.
The system’s standardised interfaces will enable custom configurations from Merck’s broad portfolio of induced pluripotent stem cells and patient derived organoids models. Combined with imec’s knowledge of sensor technology integration, state-of-the-art integrated biosensors will enable customers to obtain better-quality data through in situ, label-free measurements as well as have increased cell culture control and reproducibility.
Consequently, they will be able to generate more reliable predictions and real-time identification of human organ responses to drug and chemical stimuli with application in pre-clinical safety, toxicity studies and DMPK (Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics).
Additionally, the standardised set of building blocks underpinning this technology enables ease of use and data consistency across different experimental setups. This standardisation is expected to facilitate more comparable and reproducible results across the pharmaceutical industry, to further speed the drug development timeline and reducing costs.
“Adequate preclinical models require biological relevance and the ability to generate rich and diverse data sets at high throughput - something that no current model can provide. At imec, we are building a unique chip technology to fill this data gap. Combined with Merck’s expertise across the Life Science and Healthcare sector, we will be able to address the growing need for preclinical models to guide AI models for drug discovery.” said Paru Deshpande, Vice President R&D at imec.
“By integrating Merck’s industry leading induced pluripotent stem cells and patient derived organoids portfolio with the joint disruptive hardware platform that has an unprecedented number of biosensors, we're creating a connected in-vitro and in-silico pipeline capable of generating the critically-needed high quality biological training data. When coupled with AI-driven drug discovery, this closed-loop operating model will greatly improve data translatability to humans, speed discovery of new drug candidates, and enable researchers to more closely simulate the human body than ever before,” added Steven Johnston, Vice President and Head of Technology Enablement at Merck with regards to the transformative potential of this collaboration.
Other biotech and pharmaceutical companies will be encouraged to join this collaborative effort to develop the next generation of MPS models with the potential to bring safer, more effective treatments to patients faster.
