Why Next Gen MPS Technology: Part 2 – Closing the Gap with the Javelin Platform
In our previous blog post, we explored the remarkable potential of Next-Gen drug modalities. These novel therapies are transforming the landscape of medicine, especially for rare diseases and drug targets previously considered unreachable. However, as powerful as these therapies are, they come with a significant challenge: they require precision study platforms that can accurately replicate the complex human environment. Current testing technologies, while groundbreaking for their time, fall short when it comes to mimicking the intricate, dynamic interactions that occur in the human body at a cellular and molecular level.
This brings us to the next critical question: How do we bridge the gap between the promise of Next-Gen therapies and the need for human-relevant data that can guide their safe and effective development? Enter the Javelin Liver Tissue Chip (LTC), a game-changing solution designed to meet the needs of pharmaceutical innovators and research leaders looking for the next big leap in drug discovery.
The Need for Humanized Drug Discovery
As we embrace these novel drug modalities, the need for platforms that provide accurate, long-term, and human-specific insights becomes more pressing. Traditional methods of drug testing, which often rely on animal models or short-term cell cultures, fail to offer the level of detail required for Next-Gen therapies. Humanized drug discovery is a necessity if we are to gain clear, actionable insights into the safety, efficacy, and long-term outcomes of these therapies.
The Javelin Liver Tissue Chip addresses this gap by providing a highly advanced, milli-fluidic platform designed for long-term, in vitro pre-clinical studies. In essence, it brings together the power of tissue engineering and fluid dynamics to create the most physiologically relevant and predictive in vitro model available today. Let’s explore why this platform is a game changer.
Purpose-Built Technology for Complex Drug Modalities
The LTC is purpose-built to meet the growing demands of the biopharma industry. Collaboratively developed with leading pharmaceutical companies, the platform integrates a high-fidelity tissue model that can answer some of the most complex mechanistic questions in drug discovery. By supporting primary human hepatocytes and other key cell types, it provides an environment that mirrors human liver physiology, allowing researchers to generate insights that are not only accurate but also clinically relevant.
What sets Javelin’s LTC apart is its advanced milli-fluidic design. Unlike traditional cell culture systems that rely on static media and limited cell numbers, the LTC uses abundant f recirculating media to provide continuous oxygen and nutrition to the cells. Recirculating media mimics the dynamic in vivo environment and enables long-term incubation studies that offer a true reflection of how a drug interacts with human tissues over time. Long-term incubation studies on an in vivo-like platform are critical for understanding the chronic effects of therapies and provides better insight into drug dispositions over time - what the body does to the drug, where the drug ends up in the body, the effect of the drug on the body, how the drug is metabolized and eventually excreted.
Long-Term Incubation: A Key Advantage
Why is long-term incubation such a critical advantage? Traditional in vitro models often rely on suspension cultures that only provide short-term data, usually just a snapshot of how a drug behaves within the first few hours or days. While this can be informative, it doesn’t capture the full spectrum of pharmacokinetics (PK) and pharmacodynamics (PD). Long-term, milli-fluidic incubation, as enabled by the Javelin LTC, allows for repeated media sampling over weeks-long timeframes, providing researchers with high-content kinetic data. Many new drug modalities are driving toward the goal of protracted action. Long-acting drugs offer the benefits of modified release, fewer doses over a longer time span, and assist with patient compliance. The long-term incubation period provided by the Javelin LTC empowers investigators with the data necessary to answer the questions pertaining to the fate of a drug along a continuum of time.
The extended observation timeframe opens a window into the dynamic processes occurring within the liver, such as drug absorption, metabolism, and potential toxicities. Additionally, it allows for the simultaneous measurement of multiple parameters, including biomarkers, cellular responses, and drug interactions, giving researchers a comprehensive understanding of the therapeutic’s action and impact.
Clinically-Relevant Data for Translational Decisions
In the world of drug discovery, the ability to make informed decisions early in the process is crucial. By integrating clinical biomarkers and longitudinal data into preclinical studies, the Javelin LTC enables pharmaceutical researchers to make more data-driven decisions. This not only accelerates drug development timelines but also reduces the risk of costly late-stage failures.
For example, the LTC can be used to test complex therapeutic protocols, including dose escalation studies, which were once limited to in vivo experiments. This capability allows researchers to refine dosing regimens and optimize therapeutic windows for new modalities before they ever reach human clinical trials.
Furthermore, Javelin’s system provides accurate pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) evaluations for Next-Gen modalities. These advanced therapies often exhibit complex mechanisms of action, and traditional models may struggle to provide the insights necessary for their development. The LTC platform, however, offers a powerful, human-relevant alternative, allowing for precise evaluation of how these new drugs behave in the human body.
Conclusion: Why Not Next Gen MPS?
The Javelin Liver Tissue Chip represents the future of pre-clinical drug testing. By combining cutting-edge bioengineering with human-specific models, this platform offers a more accurate, reliable, and efficient way to develop Next-Gen therapies. Critical understanding around drug disposition over time, disease modelling for chronic pathologies, the accuracy of targeted therapeutics and other advanced modality characterization requires a longitudinal, human-only platform for the best pre-clinical insights. As we continue to push the boundaries of what’s possible in drug discovery, technologies like the LTC will be instrumental in turning novel therapeutic approaches into real-world solutions.
So, when faced with the question, "Why Next Gen?" perhaps the better question is: Why not?
Choosing innovation and pushing beyond the comfort zone is where breakthroughs happen. The Javelin Liver Tissue Chip is proof that the future of drug discovery is not just about new therapies, it’s about the smarter, more human-relevant platforms that can bring those therapies to life.