CDMO MedPharm announced that it has added human epithelial cell models for screening of drugs intended for the treatment of coronaviruses at its facility in Durham, North Carolina, US. The company says that use of the nasal, bronchial, and alveolar models “will help to de-risk development programs and screen drugs for therapeutic effectiveness to accelerate development prior to clinical trials.”
The company recently completed a $4 million expansion of the Durham facility, which includes a dedicated “innovation laboratory” for rapid development of new in vitro models. MedPharm, which is based in the UK, opened its US subsidiary in 2016; the facility offers services for transdermal and topical formulations, including for OINDPs.
MedPharm Chief Technology Officer Jon Lenn said, “This new model allows companies to screen compounds and formulations to answer critical questions about effectiveness against viral infections in the Coronaviridae family prior to the clinic. Finding effective new treatments quickly for these viral infections is imperative in these extraordinary times.”
Senior Director of Research Biology and Innovation Jon Volmer added, “We are looking forward to applying such a useful high throughput model to the development of new therapies for current and future coronaviruses.”
