Improving the effectiveness of preclinical predictions of human drug responses is critical to reducing costly failures in clinical trials. The poor predictive power of currently used preclinical models contributes to high attrition rates of drug development.
Organ on a chip technologies can help to bridge the gap between animal models and testing in humans, by generating reliable predictions of drug efficacy and safety in humans. In addition, with current advancements in stem cell technologies, a combination of biology and technology will lead to ‘population on a chip’ systems, which will allow for testing of toxicity and efficacy in human-subpopulations. This approach will lead to more efficient selection of drug candidates and more efficient design of clinical trials.
How far are we in bringing this dream to practice? TNO is investing in Organ on a chip technologies within our Early Research Program and collaborates with fellow scientists within academia and industry. The symposium organized on November 30th 2017 is a dissemination event of the ERP and aims to show the TNO approach on combining biology and technology into ‘population on a chip’ applications. Additionally it will give more insight in the requirements from pharma and food industry as well as regulatory bodies to make this technology applicable for the goal described above. Presentations will be given by TNO colleagues and several collaborators from Organ-on-a-chip projects or consortia.
Preliminary list of speakers: Murat Cirit (MIT), Richard Janssen (Galapagos), Jan Willem van der Laan (College voor Beoordeling van Geneesmiddelen); Mario Monshouwer (Johnson & Johnson), Evita van de Steeg (TNO), Roeland Hanemaaijer (TNO), more speakers will be announced.
The symposium will take place in City Congres in Leiden, 9.30-18.30, including an informal get together after the official program. The symposium is sponsored by TNO and participation is free of charge.
Register via the TNO website.