In line with in vivo

Taconic's Dr. Holger Kissel explains the significance of in vivo treatments, and tells NGP how researchers are providing efficient and reliable forms of study.

How can quality animal models and services help accelerate research and improve market position?
Dr. Holger Kissel. Using in vivo models earlier in drug discovery will generate physiologically relevant data to be used for target identification and assessing the safety of the target. Drug selection guided by early access to in vivo data will be more likely to achieve clinical success. In addition, translational mouse models, in which target proteins or entire pathways are humanised, provide a toolbox for testing compounds in vivo before entering the clinic. As a result, using these advanced mouse models in combination with established in vitro tools in pharma R&D, should contribute to reducing drug attrition in clinic trials and help to increase the success rates of drugs making it to market.

How will your acquisition of Xenogen Biosciences Corporation expand Taconic's drug discovery services?
HK. This acquisition gives us the ability to integrate model generation, phenotyping and in vivo compound testing, thereby providing a complete research service to our clients, may it be the identification of new targets, target validation, compound profiling or even repositioning of existing drugs. Also, the existing expertise at Xenogen Biosciences (now Taconic) will allow us to build a strong portfolio of services in a specific therapeutic area, such as using Taconic's luciferase imaging technology in the area of oncology and non-invasive monitoring of tumour development. In combination with our translational mouse models, such as our panel of humanised transADMET mice, this will provide high value for our customers.

Within the family of Taconic companies we can now integrate state-of-the-art model generation services, efficient contract breeding services and quality control of animals, as well as the analysis of these in vivo models. This enables us to provide phenotypic and pharmacologic data to our clients on any target gene or compound provided to us by our partners.

How is genetic integrity and strain harmonisation of laboratory mice and rats ensured?
HK. Genetic quality assurance of a mouse or rat strain becomes imperative for the success of scientific experiments. To accomplish this, a genetic monitoring (GenMon) programme that is intertwined with a breeding programme needs to be in place. Inbreeding programmes are designed to maintain the purity of a genetic background strain and should be designed to prevent crossbreeding and genetic drift. Outbreeding programmes on the other hand ensure maximum heterogeneity. In most cases, genetic monitoring programmes are based in DNA technology such as microsatellites and or single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). In both scenarios genetic backgrounds are determined by a unique DNA fingerprint. For genetically modified mice their genotype should be verified.

An important component of a breeding program is assuring that existing colonies of a strain at geographically distant sites should present the same characteristics at all different sites, therefore, a harmonisation program should be in place.

How does Taconic work alongside researchers to conduct an efficient and reliable in vivo study?
HK. For the generation and analysis of complex in vivo models and their phenotypic analysis, we see ourselves as a scientific partner of researchers in the pharma industry. We have a very dedicated scientific project management team being the single contact for all project related inquiries. This team manages the entire project from design to execution to delivery of data. Through this personal interaction on a project level we have always been very flexible in considering a customer's desire and are able to quickly communicate progress or any arising issues. With many of our long standing pharma partners we do have frequent scientific meetings on site to discuss the status of all running projects, as well as presenting them with new technologies and services Taconic is about to offer.

Dr. Holger Kissel joined TaconicArtemis in 2005. In 2008 he joined the newly founded Global Business Development team at Taconic. He is responsible for keeping Taconic current regarding the emerging needs of the global biomedical community and for the commercialization of developing technologies into new products.