Draper, Pfizer partner using organ-on-a-chip technology

Biomedical engineering company Draper has announced a partnership with Pfizer. The goal of the collabora­tion is to use Draper’s Microphysiological Systems (MPS) technology to streamline the preclinical phase of testing new medications. The technology is colloquially known as “organ-on-a-chip.” By using biomedical engineering, Draper aspires to improve the quality of new medica­tions and provide better data in a more cost-effective manner, accelerating the research process for new treatments (e.g., drugs, de­vices, cell therapy). By combining in vitro and in vivo testing, the technology can eliminate some of the hurdles of preclinical testing and help to predict clinical outcomes. It can also measure function more quickly, accurately and cheaply than in traditional models.

2017 begins on a positive note with R&D expansions

The New Year began with a series of expansions. Irvine, California-based drug and supplement maker ChromaDex announced that it will open a new research and devel­opment facility in Boulder, Colorado. Tokyo-based drug maker Eisai and Keio University announced that they will establish a lab as part of a new joint venture. In addition, Crown Bioscience of Santa Clara, California, has announced it is investing $1 million in a new research and development center focused on cardio­vascular and metabolic diseases.

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