NEW YORK (GenomeWeb News) – Transparent and Molecular Response today announced the extension of validation studies and the execution of a long-term collaboration agreement.
Under the terms of the extension, the two firms will jointly introduce a three-dimensional cell culture system based on Transparent's 3D cell culture plate design and manufacturing technologies, and Molecular's bank of "living" tumor cells and qualitative high-content platforms, they said.
The platform will be marketed under Transparent's Cell-able Oncology brand with contract research support for preclinical and clinical trial applications by Molecular.
The companies did not disclose financial and other terms of the deal.
Cell-able Oncology allows primary tumor cells to grow in 3D cultures that more closely resemble in vivo-like conditions than highly passaged cancer cell lines grown on plastic, currently a common method for developing new oncology drugs.
"Models grown in three-dimensional culture coupled with molecular characterization provide a stronger correlation to clinical outcomes than conventional preclinical anticancer drug testing," the two firms said in a joint statement.
Transparent is based in Chiba, Japan and develops the cell culture system Cell-able. Molecular Response, based in San Diego, develops companion diagnostics.