Portfolio Expansion Lets Researchers Make Confident Decisions About Drug Discovery, Faster

State College, PA – INDIGO Biosciences, Inc. (INDIGO), a leading provider of nuclear receptor and in vitro toxicology solutions, announced the release of a new hepatotoxicity assay kit. The new kit for in vitro screening of drug-induced hepatotoxicity utilizes upcyte^®hepatocytes and represents another expansion of INDIGO’s growing in vitro toxicology platform. This addition to the Company’s industry-leading nuclear receptor portfolio allows drug discovery researchers to bring processes previously only offered as contract screening services into their own laboratories.

The liver is the primary organ responsible for the detoxification of substances, including pharmaceuticals, and is susceptible to any adverse effects those substances may cause. The emergence of liver toxicity is a major reason for the termination of clinical drug trials, as well as the post-market withdrawal of many approved drugs. The use of hepatocytes – such as those found in the new assay kit from INDIGO – for the early detection of drug candidates that induce acute hepatotoxicity provides a powerful predictive tool that can help inform critical drug development decisions.

INDIGO’s new hepatotoxicity assay kit for the in vitro screening for drug-induced hepatotoxicity features luminescent upcyte^® hepatocytes, which are human-derived hepatocytes established by upcyte technologies GmbH, with whom INDIGO maintains a usage agreement. The upcyte^®hepatocytes combine the characteristics and advantages of primary hepatocytes with the added practical advantage of having access to the same donor cells for use in iterative, large-scale testing over extended periods – making them ideal for drug discovery.

“By combining the advantages of upcyte^® hepatocytes with INDIGO’s industry-leading platform and science, we are excited to help researchers get the information they need to confidently advance their discovery processes,” says Dr. Jack Vanden Heuvel, Chief Scientific Officer of INDIGO.

Previously available only as a contract-screening service, the new all-inclusive assay kit allows users to rapidly screen test compounds to identify those that induce acute liver toxicity. Drug candidates forced to withdraw from clinical trials or post-market sales due to hepatotoxic effects can cost a drug company dozens of years and billions of dollars of invested time and effort. The extension of INDIGO’s portfolio to include the assay kit for in vitro screening of drug-induced hepatotoxicity allows discovery researchers to save valuable time and considerable expense by providing an early-stage method of drug toxicity detection.

About INDIGO Biosciences, Inc.

INDIGO Biosciences, Inc. is a leading provider of nuclear receptor and in vitro toxicology solutions that accelerates scientific decision-making. INDIGO supplements the world’s largest portfolio of nuclear receptor kits and services and in vitro toxicology solutions with great results readability, reproducibility, and faster turnaround times. Our solutions, plus supportive team and reliable science and platforms aim to reduce time, cost, and risk associated with the discovery process. Learn more at indigobiosciences.com.