Transpharmation Ltd. has announced the acquisition of OrganoTherapeutics SARL, a provider of patient-derived organoid technologies that advance the discovery and development of novel therapies for neurodegenerative/CNS disorders.
Following decades of slow progress, discovery in the neurodegenerative space has entered a new era. Our understanding and treatment of debilitating diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s is rapidly transforming, with worldwide breakthroughs in genetics, biomarkers, patient-derived cellular models, organoids and translational neuroscience.
Mark Duxon, CEO of Transpharmation, said: “Transpharmation has built a reputation for translational in vivo pharmacology over the last 25 years. With the acquisition of OrganoTherapeutics we are taking our first step in the fulfilment of our ambition to build translational CRO services that include human tissues and systems. We see a clear future for the business in the provision of non-animal models alongside our preclinical pharmacology. Drug discovery requires better prediction of drug action and efficacy prior to clinical trials. We believe that being at the forefront of patient-derived 3D organoid work, particularly in the Neurology space, will help provide our clients with increased confidence in their molecules and targets.”
OrganoTherapeutics will continue to operate as a subsidiary of Transpharmation.
Co-founder of OrganoTherapeutics, Jens Schwamborn, said: “Joining Transpharmation is a logical next step for OrganoTherapeutics. Over the last few years, we have built human iPSC-derived brain organoid and assembloid models for Parkinson’s, Huntington’s, ALS and other neurodegenerative diseases, and we have used them in many studies for pharma and biotech partners. Together with Transpharmation’s long experience in translational in vivo pharmacology, we can now offer clients both approaches under one roof and help them to take better decisions earlier in drug development.”
Through the acquisition, Transpharmation and OrganoTherapeutics will bring together complementary experience in translational neuroscience and human stem cell-derived organoid technology. Transpharmation said it aims to provide a more predictive path from discovery to development and help accelerate innovation in neurodegenerative disease research.
Brain organoids are miniature, lab-grown models of human brain tissue made from stem cells donated by healthy volunteers or patients. They contain many of the brain’s key cell types, so scientists can study brain diseases such as Parkinson’s in real human cells and test promising new treatments more effectively before clinical trials.
Luxembourg-based OrganoTherapeutics specialises in patient-specific midbrain organoid and assembloid models of Parkinson’s, Huntington’s, ALS and other neurodegenerative diseases developed from its own research.