Contract vivarium facilities for preclinical discovery

AAnimal studies are the cornerstones of preclinical research. Scientists conducting preclinical studies examine the efficacy and safety of therapeutics in animal models before translating them into clinical trials in humans.¹ As more academics venture into the world of startups to develop therapies, new founders of life science or biotech lab spaces face a variety of time-related hurdles, cost, confidentiality and research ethics.^2.3 Although setting up animal services for rapid and specialized in vivo studies can be a source of preclinical challenges for startups, the rental of vivariums presents a solution for researchers aiming for control while developing new therapeutics.

Contract vivarium solutions for targeted research operations

Most startups do not have internal access to designated animal research facilities. As a result, founding researchers in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology sector are faced with the dilemma of finding vivarium space for in vivo preclinical studies. This can involve building a vivarium space from scratch or outsourcing to preclinical contract research organizations (CROs), both of which can be expensive and time-consuming.⁴

For example, when outsourcing in vivo research programs, scientists should develop policies and procedures for managing outsourced studies, identifying and evaluating CROs for quality control and breeding, and determining the level institutional oversight required for contract animal work.⁵ Additionally, handing over control of studies to an outside institution can be risky and costly, with long wait times to begin studies and process results.^4,6,7

In contrast, a contract vivarium (CV) provides accessible in-house laboratory animal services for preclinical research and development at the in vivo stage. A CV is an immediate ready-to-use preclinical vivarium laboratory, fully equipped and managed by certified and trained breeding experts. These facilities provide scientists with comprehensive services and the highly specialized compliance oversight required for in vivo studies. They also allow researchers to conduct their own in vivo experiments, speeding up timelines and giving founding scientists control of their science. This control allows for close monitoring of data collection and validation, which increases productivity and the likelihood of reproducibility in subsequent trials.^4,6,7

Vivarium spaces for new preclinical research platforms

Whether a researcher needs a mouse vivarium or a rat vivarium, CVs give founding scientists the ability to research new, innovative and proprietary therapeutic modalities and drug delivery systems.⁶ From oncology to neurology, researchers advancing therapeutic development in multiple avenues can find support through CVs. Some examples of CV-supported breakthroughs include elucidating the therapeutic potential of blocking the IL-27 pathway in liver cancer; preclinical testing of live biotherapeutics for the treatment of infectious diseases; and establish preclinical evidence for new therapies for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).^8-10

State-of-the-art control for drug development

VCs reduce barriers of entry to drug development. Early-stage and mid-stage biotech companies with minimal funding can initiate and monitor early-stage experiments and scale up work based on the results. By providing access to turnkey vivarium research facilities with expert services and compliance monitoring, Mispro’s contract vivarium (CV) solution offers biopharmaceutical companies access to the discovery and development of cutting-edge preclinical drugs, regardless of the stage of activity.⁶

Mispro offers fully equipped, managed and staffed vivarium space for a range of research platforms. Whether a biotech company is at the forefront of gene therapy, cell therapies, or other innovative molecular delivery systems, a team of experts is available to help develop study protocols for personalized approaches. From vivarium space and services for all types of early-stage animal research studies, to additional space for a rapidly growing indoor vivarium, Mispro offers flexible and scalable options for safe and secure preclinical research. reproducible. Mispro CVs provide best-in-class animal laboratory space and services so founding scientists and research teams can focus on the science behind successful preclinical studies.^4,6,7

The references

1. W. Huang et al., “General Principles of Preclinical Study Design”, Handb Exp Pharmacol257:55-69, 2020. doi:10.1007/164_2019_277
2. S. Chitale et al., “So You Want to Start a Biotech Company,” Nat Biotechnol40(3):296-300, 2022. doi:10.1038/s41587-022-01239-9
3. “5 reasons why a vivarium service contract is a smart choice for your in vivo trials”, Mispro Biotech Services, https://www.mispro.com/news-events/contract-vivarium-service-in-vivo-trialsaccessed March 9, 2023.
4. “What is a contractual vivarium? » Mispro Biotech Services, https://www.mispro.com/news-events/what-is-a-contract-vivariumaccessed March 9, 2023.
5. WJ Underwood, “Contractualising in vivo research: what are the issues? J Am Assoc Lab Anim Sci46(4):16-19, 2007.
6. “Contracted vivarium services”, Mispro Biotech Services, https://www.mispro.com/space-servicesaccessed March 9, 2023.
7. J. Fogarty, “Biotech Leader Explains Why More Life Sciences Companies in Boston Are Embracing the Contract Vivarium,” Boston Business JournalSeptember 1, 2021, https://www.bizjournals.com/boston/news/2021/09/01/life-science-companies-contract-vivarium-model.htmlaccessed March 9, 2023.
8. T. Aghayey et al., “Interleukin-27 signaling serves as an immunological checkpoint for innate cytotoxic cells to promote hepatocellular carcinoma,” Discovery of cancer12(8):1960-83, 2022. doi:10.1158/2159-8290.CD-20-1628
9. M. Dsouza et al., “Colonization of the living biotherapeutic product VE303 and modulation of the microbiota and metabolites in healthy volunteers”, Microbe Host Cell30(4):583-98, 2022. doi:10.1016/j.chom.2022.03.016
10. JK Wong et al., “Apolipoprotein B-100-mediated motor neuron degeneration in sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis”, common brain4(4):fcac207, 2022. doi:10.1093/braincomms/fcac207