TransCell Science, a CRO specializing in cell-based assays for phenotypic screening, has just been snatched up by biological products provider BioreclamationIVT.
Founded in 2011 by Chris Hansis, M.D., Ph.D., TransCell has been focusing on developing novel drug and biologics assays based on human primary cells grown from explant tissue.
Studies using such technology can provide guidance with a high level of confidence on whether a drug candidate is worthy of pursuing. It can generate a decision at an early point of the drug discovery process, and therefore reduce waste of time and resources on some dead-end candidates.
The New York City-based CRO is good at applying that cell-based science to drug and biologics development in some complex therapeutic fields, including solid cancers and leukemia, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, etc.
After the acquisition, Hansis will stay on and join the BioreclamationIVT exec team as CSO, while BioreclamationIVT will be adding TransCell’s cell processing and phenotypic screening services to its portfolio.
“Together, BioreclamationIVT and TransCell Science will form a complete solution spanning biospecimen acquisition to use of those samples within highly relevant in vitro assays,” said Jeff Gatz, BioreclamationIVT’s CEO, in a statement.
Before that, the also New York-based company has been providing human and animal matrices produced from blood, plasma, serum, tissues and other fluids to be used in drug discovery, compound development, clinical and research diagnostics. The biological products expert touts its library of cryoplateable hepatocytes as the world’s largest.
Although financial details of the acquisition were not shared, it is known that Arsenal Cpital Partners, a New York-based private equity firm specializing in healthcare and life sciences industry, with about $3 billion in capital at its disposal, is the financial supporter behind BioreclamationIVT.