Introducing the PhysioMimix™ OOC Multi-Organ Microphysiological System

CN Bio, a leading developer of single and multi-organ microphysiological systems (MPS), otherwise known as organ-on-a-chip (OOC), today announced the commercial launch of its new PhysioMimix™ OOC Multi-Organ MPS. The next-generation platform combines CN Bio’s in vitro 3D liver model, whose phenotype and functions mimic that in vivo, with a range of other organs to more accurately recapitulate the multi-organ and systemic effects observed in humans. Demonstrating a key milestone in the Company’s mission to develop the most complete human ‘body-on-a-chip’ in the laboratory, the PhysioMimix OOC Multi-Organ MPS will provide advanced insights into the potential effects of novel therapeutics that were previously only achievable using animal models.

CN Bio’s Multi-Organ MPS enables researchers to generate sophisticated in vitro models that better represent human inter-organ crosstalk effects compared to single-organ MPS, or animal models. This system can be used to decrease the risk of clinical trial failures due to cross-species translational differences and can be used in the development of new human-specific modalities for which animal models are unsuited. The Company’s advanced 3D liver model can be reliably and easily interconnected with other organs (such as gut, lung or kidney) to provide a human in vitro alternative to animal or in silico first pass metabolism studies (ADME), to elicit a deeper human-specific mechanistic understanding of disease states and to identify reactive metabolite-driven toxicity or multi-organ toxicity. Furthermore, in vitro to in vivo clinical predictions can be extrapolated using Physiologically-Based Pharmacokinetics (PBPK) mathematical models, to increase the accuracy and precision of data translation. For existing PhysioMimix users, an upgrade path is available.

Prior to launch, the system has undergone extensive internal and external validation by the University of Pittsburgh, and by a major pharmaceutical company.

“The inherent biological differences of animal models with human physiology frequently result in the misrepresentation of pharmacological processes, contributing to the large proportion of new medicines that fail in clinical trials. Furthermore, in certain scenarios, animal models are unsuitable for efficacy and safety evaluation due to their genetic and immunological differences.” commented Dr David Hughes, CEO, CN Bio “Our new multi-organ platform addresses the needs of a wider customer base, whilst providing the same ease-of-use, robustness, and reliability as the single-organ system which has been on the market since 2018. This launch extends CN Bio’s reach from world-leading provider of single-organ-on-a-chip technologies into multi-organ-on-a-chip, as we strive to expand the boundaries of humanized pre-clinical research and development.”

Professor Alan Wells, Professor of Pathology, Integrative Systems Biology Department, University of Pittsburgh, said: “The pathobiology of disease, even if limited to one organ, does not occur in isolation to the rest of the body. To understand how other events affect the pathology in question requires their constant communication. We are finding these networks key to tumor progression in metastatic sites, to address the Achilles heel of cancer therapy.”