Expanding In Vivo Drug, Medical Device Testing Capabilities

Absorption Systems announces the latest in a series of milestones in the continuing expansion of its AAALAC-accredited and GLP-compliant facility in San Diego, CA. The facility is undergoing extensive renovations to upgrade and expand the company’s in vivo testing capabilities for drugs and medical devices, including the construction of a dedicated ocular testing laboratory with state-of-the-art equipment, including a Heidelberg Spectralis optical coherence tomography (OCT) unit. This instrument produces detailed digital images of the retina, enabling precise monitoring of the efficacy and toxicity of drugs and medical devices. Absorption Systems’ San Diego facility, in the midst of a major expansion of staff, equipment, and capabilities in the specialized area of preclinical ocular drug and device testing, continues to see significant growth year-over-year early in 2012.

Glenwood Gum, M.S., Ph.D., who joined Absorption Systems in 2011 as Associate Director, Preclinical Studies, comments, “This OCT technology gives a huge boost to our ocular testing capabilities, which will immediately benefit our rapidly expanding client base.” Dr. Gum is an expert in preclinical ocular studies, having developed or co-developed many of the preclinical models of glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration (AMD), retinoblastoma, uveitis, and diabetic retinopathy that are used all over the world for drug testing. His expertise, along with dedicated staff and the addition of state-of-the-art equipment and facilities, are key to Absorption Systems’ strategy to aggressively pursue new business opportunities in the preclinical ocular testing arena.

Patrick Dentinger, president and CEO of Absorption Systems, states, “For Absorption Systems, being a market leader in whatever endeavor we pursue is a cornerstone of our business philosophy. This requires scientific expertise, state-of-the-art equipment and facilities, and access to emerging technologies. These factors, combined with Absorption Systems’ customer-centric approach, make our commitment to being a top-tier ocular service provider a reality in 2012.”

Absorption Systems’ preclinical ocular test portfolio includes in vivo ocular pharmacokinetics, efficacy, and safety in multiple species, as well as in vitro ocular permeability and metabolism. For example, the human corneal orb is a unique in vitro permeability model available as a service platform only through Absorption Systems. The corneal orb, cultured from human pluripotent stem cells, was developed by Lifeline Cell Technology, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of International Stem Cell Corporation, and has been validated by Absorption Systems as an in vitro corneal permeability test system.