Mimetas and Partners Receive 1.6 Million Dollar Industry Funding for Development of Organ-On-A-Chip Neurotoxicity Models

Leiden-based biotechnology company Mimetas has received 1.6 million USD funding for development of an organ-on-a-chip model for neurotoxicity. The aim of the project is to improve existing neurotoxicity tests and to reduce experimentation on animals. A panel of experts from BASF, Sanofi, GlaxoSmithKline, Abbvie, NC3Rs and renowned academic institutions has selected the Mimetas solution from a lineup of strong competitors. Mimetas will lead the consortium, which also includes the Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences (Utrecht, The Netherlands) and Cellular Dynamics International (Wisconsin, USA).

“It is extremely rewarding for the Mimetas team and our partners to win this prestigious project under strong competition”, says Mimetas Managing Director Jos Joore, “It offers yet another stage to showcase the versatility of our organ-on-a-chip platform in this field with large unmet needs”.

The funding is awarded in the context of the Neuratect CRACK IT Challenge to support development of better predictive, high-throughput, animal-free models for neurotoxicity of medicines and chemicals. The consortium will use the funds to develop, analyze and validate high-throughput neurotoxicity models using Mimetas OrganoPlate™ technology with CDI’s iPS neurons. The resulting models will be applied to predict neurotoxicity and seizure induction, helping to reduce animal experimentation.

The CRACK IT Challenge is organized by the UK-based National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research (NC3Rs). In 2014, Mimetas secured a 1.6-million-dollar NC3Rs project targeting kidney toxicity.

Source: Mimetas