Collaboration to accelerate drug discovery in cardiac disease announced

Torrey Pines Institute for Molecular Studies (TPIMS), a non-profit research institution and leader in advanced methods of drug discovery, and InvivoSciences Inc., an innovative company providing screening for first-in-class drug discovery, announced today a new collaboration to accelerate drug discovery in cardiac disease. Under the terms of the agreement, Torrey Pines Institute will work with InvivoSciences to screen the TPIMS collection of compounds in InvivoSciences’ 2012 Edison Award winning assay system. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Torrey Pines Institute has developed methods for the rapid synthesis and screening of compound libraries containing up to billions of compounds. The preparation of compound libraries in organized mixtures allows for the positional screening technique to be utilized, ultimately enabling the screening of billions of compounds in exponentially fewer samples.

InvivoSciences has developed an assay system with engineered tissue-based compound screening technology, including their PalpatorTM device and connective tissue constructs fabricated in MC96TM. The ready-to-use tissues and assay platforms produced by InvivoSciences provide three-dimensional (3D) geometrics and physical environments for cells, bridging the gap between cell-based systems and isolated organ tissue systems or animal models by mimicking the functions of living organisms, specifically those of humans.

Richard A. Houghten, Founder, CEO & President of Torrey Pines Institute said, “It is exciting to combine our libraries and screening techniques with the assay systems developed by InvivoSciences. Their assay approach closely models human disease so the potential to identify and develop disease-modifying therapies is significant.” Ayla Annac, Co-founder and CEO of InvivoSciences comments, “We are especially proud and pleased to establish a long-term relationship with the internationally recognized Torrey Pines Institute and recognize its entrepreneurial spirit and commitment to accelerate drug discovery.”