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Explore our solutions


PhysioMimix® is a suite of hardware, consumables and assay protocols that enable you to recreate complex human biology and accurately predict human drug responses.

PhysioMimix OOC

physiomimix-single-and-multi-organ-on-a-chip-systems
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Consumables

Multi-chip plates
3D validated cells
NASH-in-a-box
Bioavailability assay kit: Human 18
DILI assay kit: Human 24
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Models

Single-organ models
- Liver-on-a-chip model
- Lung-on-a-chip model
Multi-organ models
- Gut/Liver-on-a-chip models

Support packages

PhysioMimix® support packages

Discover the applications


Investigate the application areas that our PhysioMimix® products and services support

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Disease modeling

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis
Hepatitis B
Pulmonary infection
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Safety toxicology

Drug-induced liver injury
Immune-mediated liver injury
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ADME

Drug absorption
Drug metabolism
Drug bioavailability
Oligonucleotide delivery
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Studies as a service


Our team will work collaboratively with you to design a study around your research goals and generate actionable data within weeks

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icon-nash-1-150x150.png MASLD/MASH
icon-dili-tox-150x150.png Drug-induced liver injury
icon-adme-150x150.png ADME

Drug metabolism in vitro

How can you improve human hepatic drug metabolism predictions?


Drug metabolism is a complex process where drugs are structurally modified to form metabolites. Studying drug metabolism and pharmacokinetics (DMPK) is required to identify lead compounds with optimal PK/PD properties, optimize efficacy, and minimize safety issues.

Standard in vitro drug metabolism and pharmacokinetics studies face various challenges. Many are incompatible with new therapeutic modalities, are inaccurate predictors of human in vivo clearance rates, and fail to identify rare or human-specific metabolites.

Our solution

Individual Liver-, Lung-, and Gut-on-a-chip in vitro models can be used to study drug metabolism, metabolites, and transporter-mediated uptake and efflux.

Connecting two models related to DMPK offers an improved prediction of in vivo pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics. For example, combining gut and liver models allows orally administered drugs to be studied in a multi-organ system. The system can reflect compound permeability through an intestinal barrier, hepatic metabolism, organ–organ interaction, and crosstalk.

PhysioMimix® Drug Metabolism Assays allow the measurement of parent and metabolite concentrations within the intracellular compartment and culture medium, to determine all standard metabolic parameters. They are particularly well suited to measuring slowly metabolized, low clearance drugs where in other systems, such as suspension hepatocytes, compound turnover is not detected.

Our organ-on-a-chip (OOC) models maintain phase I and II metabolism together with transporter function at in vivo-like levels for weeks. The ability to recirculate media around the cultures allows for the decrease in parent or build-up of metabolites to be measured and complete metabolic characterization from a single culture.

Drug metabolism cells

Studying drug metabolism

Limitations with current techniques

  • Low clearance drugs can’t be evaluated with suspension hepatocytes
  • Many systems do not show adequate phase II metabolism
  • Metabolism is not measurable in a ‘single pass’ OOC and spheroids 
  • Some OOC technologies are unsuitable as they use Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) which absorbs drugs

Advancements with PhysioMimix OOC

  • Prolonged metabolic competence means low clearance drugs can be evaluated
  • Liver-on-a-chip provides phase I, II, and tertiary metabolism
  • Our models have an optimized cell-to-medium ratio, ensuring measurable metabolism
  • Our systems are made from low-binding non-silicone materials
  • Liver-on-a-chip models typically contain 500K cells, providing material ‘horsepower’ for rare metabolite detection

Cell culture timelines

Standard liver drug metabolism

cnb1015 liver drug metabolism cell culture timeline v1 | drug metabolism in vitro

End point measurements


Longitudinal and endpoint measurements include (but not limited to):

Functionality biomarkers

  • Cytochrome P450 enzyme activity
  • Albumin production
  • Urea production
  • Lactose dehydrogenase (LDH) release

Profiling analysis

  • Metabolite production over time
  • Media samples send to LC/MS for bioanalysis
    • Drug concentration over time
    • Parent drug clearance
    • Known metabolite production
    • Area under the curve estimation

Optional profiling analysis

  • Quantitative PCR
  • Transcriptomics

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Assess first-pass metabolism in vitro


Investigate the combined effects of intestinal absorption and liver metabolism using a multi-organ system, measuring the clearance of parent compound and production of metabolites.

Assessing first-pass metabolism graph
Parent molecule
Assessing first-pass metabolism graph
Primary metabolite

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Predict slowly metabolized drug clearance rates


From slow to fast, a range of in vivo drug clearance rates can be accurately predicted using our metabolically competent, human-relevant in vitro Liver-on-a-chip.

Tsamandouras et al., 2017

Predict slowly metabolized drug clearance rates graph

Explore our single & multi-organ models


Recreate highly functional and predictive single & multi-organ models in the laboratory for studying drug metabolism in vitro.

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Access our ADME service


Get instant access to PhysioMimix Drug Absorption Assays via our CRO Service. Through a collaborative approach, our experts work with you to plan and execute your study.

Bespoke projects are carried out by our dedicated team of scientists in our CRO facility providing you with actionable data within weeks.

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Add PhysioMimix OOC to your lab


Harness the power of PhysioMimix OOC in your own lab with the purchase of a single- or multi-organ microphysiological system.

With a growing community of users and support from our experts, there has never been a better time to transition into 3D cell culture.

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Featured resources

Scientific publications

Exploration Application Drug Metabolism 2022 Graphic | drug metabolism in vitro

Exploration and Application of a Liver-on-a-Chip Device in Combination with Modelling and Simulation for Quantitative Drug Metabolism Studies

Articles

A4 resource mockup Template | drug metabolism in vitro

How to Keep Breathing – The Future of Inhaled Medication Testing

Scientific publications

Characterizing Repreducibility MPS 2020 Graphic | drug metabolism in vitro

Characterizing the reproducibility in using a liver microphysiological system for assaying drug toxicity, metabolism and accumulation

View all Drug metabolism related resources

Speak to our experts

Request a meeting with one of our OOC experts to see how our products and services can support your studies

Request a meeting

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