On January 28, 2021 Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. (NYSE: CRL) reported that it has entered into a strategic partnership with Cypre, Inc., a biotechnology company that is using 3D hydrogel technology to advance the understanding of the tumor microenvironment and predict therapeutic efficacy (Press release, Charles River Laboratories, JAN 28, 2021, View Source [SID1234574398]). The partnership will provide Charles River clients with access to Cypre’s proprietary 3D tumor model platform, Falcon-X, which will expand Charles River’s 3D in vitro testing services to further optimize immuno-oncological approaches for its clients.

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The Falcon-X 3D In Vitro Tumor Assay Platform is a high content analysis screening option for cancer immunotherapy and targeted therapy. Utilizing Cypre’s patented 3D hydrogel patterning technology, Symphony and VersaGel, and proprietary methods that synergize with the breadth and depth of Charles River’s tumor model collection, the platform recreates the tumor microenvironment and enables predictive screening of innovative immuno-oncology compounds. As a part of Charles River’s integrated tumor model service platform, including patient-derived xenografts (PDX), Falcon-X will provide human data that translates to the clinic and identifies the efficacy of specific immunotherapy and targeted therapeutic treatments for patients.

Charles River offers a range of cancer cell-based assays, including PDX assays and assays representing the entire tumor microenvironment (TME), so therapies are not only tested for their effect on real patient materials, but also their interaction with the human immune systems. Through this collaboration, Charles River will now have a critical new addition to our human oncology assay repertoire, allowing identification of therapeutics that overcome cancer immunotherapy resistance.

The partnership will also allow Cypre to screen multiple therapeutic modalities alone or in combination utilizing Charles River’s genomically annotated and in vivo characterized cancer model database. The database is comprised of more than 700 tumor models, including PDX, cell lines and cell line derived xenografts. These models have been extensively profiled for histological features, molecular data, and sensitivity to standard-of-care compounds, allowing a precise selection of suitable tumor models for preclinical anti-cancer agent testing. The biological advantages of PDX include the retention of histological and genetic characteristics of the donor tumor and the preservation of cell-autonomous heterogeneity, which increase the translational relevance of the Cypre platform significantly. The breadth and depth of Charles River’s cancer model database enable the offering of a clinically relevant tumor panel in Cypre’s innovative 3D platform, and the platform’s compelling predictivity for in vivo PDX models allows streamlined programs and translation to the clinic.

Approved Quotes

"Immunotherapy is a complex, yet promising area of development in cancer treatment. Cypre’s platform enables the ideal tumor culturing conditions for assaying various immunotherapies and targeted therapies and provides robust, reproducible data sets without compromising throughput that strongly correlates to our PDX in vivo results. By broadening our 3D in vitro services with this collaboration, we can provide our clients with a complete, integrated tumor model service platform." – Birgit Girshick, Corporate Executive Vice President, Discovery and Safety Assessment, Biologics Testing Solutions, and Avian Vaccine Services, Charles River
"Charles River is the premier CRO in discovery and early development services, and we are thrilled to partner with their team to drive a combined offering. Our Falcon-X platform provides Charles River customers with expanded access to patient-derived 3D in vitro screening services and a new way to assay the immune cell compartment within the tumor microenvironment. We look forward to building this relationship and providing more customers with our unique solution that will improve targeted and immuno-therapeutic options for cancer patients." – Kolin Hribar, PhD, Founder and CEO, Cypre