ST. LOUIS, April 21, 2015 /PRNewswire/
–BioReliance®
(www.bioreliance.com), Sigma-Aldrich Corporation's
(NASDAQ: SIAL) biologics and early-development services business
under SAFC® Commercial (www.sigmaaldrich.com/safc), is
pleased to announce a non-exclusive license agreement with Qualyst
Transporter Solutions (QTS) for its proprietary B-CLEAR®
technology. Used in conjunction with BioReliance technologies,
B-CLEAR enables researchers to assess drug disposition and drug
interactions within complex, whole-cell liver systems.
When applied to properly functioning hepatic cells, B-CLEAR
opens the bile pockets (analogous to bile canaliculi in
vivo), allowing material that has been transported from inside
the cell into the bile pocket to be measured. The efflux
measurements can then facilitate evaluation of biliary clearance,
transporter interactions and intracellular
concentration.
Until now, the study of the individual role of a transporter in
primary hepatocytes and HepaRG cells, which express all of the
hepatic transporters, was very difficult. However, by using
Sigma-Aldrich CompoZr® Zinc Finger Nuclease (ZFN)
technology, HepaRG transporter knockout cell lines have been
created empowering more accurate research investigations of liver
transporters. The B-CLEAR technology enables effective measurement
of uptake and efflux into the bile pocket, and the overall
integrated effect of transporters and metabolism can also be
evaluated.
"The ability to accurately predict drug transporter interactions
in the liver is a critical part of developing safer and more
efficacious therapies," said Paul
Brooks, Ph.D., Head of Discovery Research Services at
Sigma-Aldrich. "We have licensed the B-CLEAR technology to offer a
more complete support service for drug transporter assessment,
which is in line with BioReliance's drive to deliver the most
innovative advances in in vitro ADME/Tox studies to address
customers' most pressing needs."
"B-CLEAR technology exclusively allows users to measure compound
in the bile pocket, and is the first technology of its kind to
enable measuring of physiologic intracellular concentrations.
Whether a user is interested in uptake transporter knockouts or
efflux transporter knockouts, measuring changes in intracellular
concentration is the perfect readout to understand their effects,"
said Dr. Christopher Black, CEO for
Qualyst Transporter Solutions. "We are thrilled to make this
licensing agreement with Sigma-Aldrich and BioReliance, and look
forward to seeing its positive impact on the pharmaceutical
industry."
Patented in over 45 countries, QTS' B-CLEAR technology can be
accessed by end-users though services at BioReliance, and as
products from Sigma-Aldrich. To learn more about BioReliance's in
vitro ADME and toxicology testing services, please visit:
http://www.bioreliance.com/invitroadmetox.aspx.
About BioReliance by SAFC: As part of the
Sigma-Aldrich Corporation, operating under the SAFC Commercial
business unit, BioReliance is a key component of the company's
commercial life science services portfolio. With locations
worldwide, BioReliance offers more than 1,000 tests and
complementary services related to biologics safety testing and
specialized toxicology. For more information, visit
www.bioreliance.com.
About SAFC: SAFC Commercial,
the custom manufacturing and services business unit
of Sigma-Aldrich Corporation, is recognized as a top 10 global
specialty chemicals and biologics supplier. As a trusted
manufacturer for the life science and high-technology
industries, SAFC works closely with customers to resolve
development challenges and accelerate the product pipeline using
its global "Centers of Excellence" and dedicated manufacturing
facilities. Its rich portfolio includes high-purity inorganic
materials for high-technology applications, critical raw materials
and extensive biologics safety testing services for
biopharmaceutical manufacturing, and complex, high-potent APIs and
key intermediates for pharmaceutical manufacturing. For more
information,
visit www.sigma-aldrich.com/safc.
About
Sigma-Aldrich: Sigma-Aldrich, a leading Life Science and Technology
company focused on enhancing human health and safety, manufactures
and distributes 250,000 chemicals, biochemicals and other essential
products to more than 1.4 million customers globally in research
and applied labs as well as in industrial and commercial markets.
With three distinct business units - Research, Applied and SAFC
Commercial - Sigma-Aldrich is committed to enabling science to
improve the quality of life. The Company operates in 37 countries,
has approximately 9,300 employees worldwide and had sales of
$2.79 billion in 2014. For more
information about Sigma-Aldrich, please visit its website at
www.sigma-aldrich.com.
©2015 Sigma-Aldrich Co. LLC. All rights reserved.
Sigma-Aldrich, BioReliance, SAFC,
and CompoZr are trademarks of Sigma-Aldrich Co. LLC or its
affiliates, registered in the U.S. and other countries. B-CLEAR is
a registered trademark of Qualyst, Inc.
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SOURCE Sigma-Aldrich