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DiscoveryBioMed, Inc. and collaborators are humbled and honored to receive a 2-year grant from the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research (MJFF). MJFF is a premier private foundation driving cutting-edge research that will yield viable therapeutics for Parkinson’s disease. The monies are awarded to develop, validate, select and progress hit-to-lead Stimulator of Interferon Genes (STING) inhibitors for Parkinson’s disease. DiscoveryBioMed, Inc. and our collaborator, Nitor Therapeutics led by Dr. Shanta Bantia, are performing in vitro assays currently to determine which hit-to-lead STING inhibitors bind STING directly and which inhibit the STING-associated signal transduction pathway in human immune-relevant cells. Then, we will identify STING inhibitors that are both blood-brain barrier permeant and that are also potent and effective at inhibiting STING and the STING-based signaling pathway in innate immunity-relevant human cells in vitro. This therapeutic approach may quell chronic neuroinflammation in Parkinson’s disease. MJFF funded the program and has already provided sage advice in the beginnings of the project. Later term, bioavailability of our lead STING inhibitors in the central nervous system (CNS) will be...

2021 was an unprecedented revenue generation year. We were humbled and honored to serve or support over 50 industry clients worldwide. Driven by client demand, we are deepening our efforts in Kidney and Sensory cell and tissue sectors and adding a suite of new and emerging sectors. Kidney: In addition to our 3D Biogel-based and 384-well plate-based polycystic kidney disease (PKD) cyst cell-driven organoid ‘cystogenesis’ assays and other multiplexed assay endpoints, we are also gathering a panel of novel diseased human kidney cancer cell models for 3D bioassay interrogation. We are also continuing pilot efforts in human chronic kidney disease (CKD) cell and tissue models. Sensory: Our SENTIRIXTM unit is deepening its efforts in human taste bud tissue-derived cell cultures as a human cell model of taste transduction. We have multiple medium-throughput screening campaigns in process for industry clients. We also have a new human eye cell model creation collaboration with Advancing Sight Network that is supported in part by a major BioPharmaceutical company in Europe. Oncology: Our TumorCubeTM unit has been launched recently and...

DiscoveryBioMed, Inc. has matured into a premier Human Cell Models CRO by growing, expanding and leveraging its diseased and normal human cell cultures, platforms and bioassays into almost every human cell or tissue type. “There is no human cell that we will not culture or assay,” exclaimed Dr. Erik Schwiebert, DBM’s CEO and CSO. DBM is now executing larger projects with industry clients where we can perform targeted medium-throughput screening (MTS) using our human cell-driven bioassays, termed by us as “humanized drug discovery.” DBM also now believes that our diseased versus normal human cell cultures, particularly those grown in 3D Biogel culture formats as “organoids”, have important utility in metabolomics, genomics, and/or proteomics profiling of human disease. DBM will grow the human cells in the appropriate growth format and harvest the required samples for the client. DBM can perform metabolomic or genomic profiling itself “in house”, or it can provide the samples to the client and/or a third-party CRO for analysis. Please inquire via our CRO services inquiry portal on our website or via portals...

As a premier Human Cell Models CRO, a growing sector for DiscoveryBioMed, Inc. is validation of drug targets and drug candidates identified by artificial intelligence (AI)-based inquiry. AI can identify one or more drug targets for a particular human disease, and it can also identify existing small molecules to re-purpose and/or design new compounds that may engage the drug target. However, a key inflection or validation point is putting the AI-driven drug targets and candidates into practice. At present, DBM is helping multiple active AI clients validate drug targets and lead therapeutic assets in custom designed bioassays performed on primary human diseased and/or normal cell cultures. Validation at this key in vitro step is much less expensive than proceeding directly to an animal model of disease. If the targets and compounds are validated in DBM bioassays, refinement of the compounds can occur such as iterative medicinal chemistry and other approaches. Then, after deep profiling and optimization in vitro with DBM, one can proceed to develop the lead clinical candidates in the best animal model of...

As a premier Human Cell Models CRO, a continuing focus for DiscoveryBioMed, Inc. is primary human cell culture creation. We have frequent inquiries about our capabilities across multiple tissue types. DBM has deep expertise in creating longer-lived primary cultures that also maintain physiological phenotypes. We have active efforts in multiple types of human sensory tissues as well as in human kidney, liver, and lung tissues. “Diseased versus normal human cell culture creation and their utility in 3D and 2D in vitro bioassays continues to be a huge emphasis for DBM,” explained Dr. Erik Schwiebert, CEO and CSO. “With uncertain outcomes in profiling lead therapeutic assets in rodent models of disease, our in vitro preclinical diseased versus normal human cell-driven bioassays have been adopted in parallel or in lieu of animal models.” A co-development agreement can also be discussed between the client and DBM to isolate and establish new human cell cultures, models and platforms. Please inquire via our CRO services inquiry portal on our website or via The Scientist, Science Exchange or LinkedIn if you...