Device offers in vitro drug development capabilities

US company Rheologics now offers in vitro drug development and discovery capabilities using its Rheolog device. The technology allows researchers to evaluate the effect of drugs on the biophysical properties of human blood, including lubricity, viscosity, red blood cell deformability and yield stress. The comprehensive rheological profile produced by the instrument can be used for product life cycle management, and the evaluation of existing drugs for new market applications.

The Rheolog was launched last November as the first device designed for the in vivo measurement of the biophysical properties of unadulterated, circulating whole blood.

With the addition of in vitro capabilities, the Rheolog offers pharmaceutical firms the opportunity to combine the benefits of in vitro testing of human blood - speed, ease of use, reproducibility and standardisation with the accepted reliability of data derived from in vivo testing.

'There is an increasing need for new approaches to drug development in order to shorten development lead times and provide healthcare professionals with additional treatment options,' said Dr Kenneth R. Kensey, ceo of Rheologics.

'Evaluating the effects of drugs on the biophysical properties of blood opens a previously unexplored area of physiology for pharmaceutical companies. This knowledge opens the door to the possibility of developing entirely new classes of drugs.'

For example, a possible developmental approach may be to combine a viscosity-altering additive or excipient with an existing drug to improve the biodeliverability of the drug, increase its effectiveness and generate new patents.