GenoMembrane announces collaboration with DefiniGEN to further develop iPS-derived intestinal organoids for drug absorption and transportation assay models

GenoMembrane Co. Ltd., the world leader in drug transporter production, announces the business collaboration with DefiniGEN, a Cambridge-based company who is specializes in human iPSC differentiation and disease modelling using CRISPR gene editing technology. DefiniGEN’s iPS-derived intestinal organoids can provide a unique in vitro system to model the human intestine. The organoids can be applied to various applications such as drug absorption, metabolism, and induction of CYP enzymes/transporters, as well as the modelling of infectious disease. GenoMembrane and DefiniGEN will co-develop ready-to-use intestinal absorption and transportation models to be evaluated by pharmaceutical companies as these next-generation iPS organoid products will help to improve the efficiency and economics of drug development to be the next innovative model for drug toxicity studies.

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Mr. Kazutaka Muraguchi, CEO, GenoMembrane commented, “Collaboration with DefiniGEN will create innovative in vitro tools useful for drug development in pharmaceuticals as iPS cell can provide stable lots of differentiated human intestinal cell with same characteristics. We are very excited as this invention will be the blend of both companies’ technologies.”

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Dr. Marcus Yeo, CEO, DefiniGEN commented, “These next-generation iPS-derived intestinal organoids will enable ADMET studies to be undertaken in a physiologically relevant environment to improve the predictive power of preclinical safety assessments. We look forward to partnering with GenoMembrane on this project and developing an innovative model for drug toxicity studies.”

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About GenoMembrane Co.,Ltd.

GenoMembrane was founded in 2002 to commercialise drug transporters. The Company has world-leading expertise in the area of drug transporter production. The application of these products in drug development provides pharmaceutical companies with more predictive and effective in vitro drug transportation/excretion modelling.

About DefiniGEN Ltd.

DefiniGEN was founded in 2013 to commercialise OptiDIFF, the stem cell production platform developed at the University of Cambridge, UK. The Company has world-leading expertise in the area of iPSC-derived human cell production and metabolic disease modelling. The application of these technologies in drug discovery provides pharmaceutical companies with more predictive in vitro cell products enabling the development of safer and more effective treatments. In addition, the technology platform utilises fully defined and humanised conditions required for the development of regenerative medicine cellular therapies. DefiniGEN builds on intellectual property and knowledge resident at the University of Cambridge Regenerative Medicine Department at Addenbrooke’s Hospital and has in-licensed the Yamanaka induced pluripotent stem cell IP portfolio from iPS Academia Japan Inc.