KMT Hepatech expands humanized liver model services

04-Jan-2018 - Last updated on 04-Jan-2018 at 16:30 GMT

(Image: iStock/lculig)

KMT Hepatech is expanding its services with the PXB-Mouse – a humanized liver chimeric mouse model for drug discovery and development – following a strategic investment from PhoenixBio late last year.

PhoenixBio Co, Ltd. produces the PXB-Mouse, which, according to the company, provides clinically relevant data in the fields of HBV/HCV, DMPKS/Safety, oligonucleotide therapeutics and non-viral liver diseases.

KMT Hepatech, Inc., part of the PhoenixBio group of companies, provides in vivo research services and recently announced that it will be expanding its staff and operations in Edmonton, AB, Canada.

In addition to providing services with the PXB-Mouse, the company is also starting production of PXB-Cells – hepatocytes isolated from cDNA-uPA/SCID mice with a highly humanized liver.

According to the company, the cells will support researchers across a range of drug development fields, including hepatitis B (HBV) in vitro studies. The PXB-Mouse model is described by the company as the current “gold standard” for HBV efficacy testing. The model has also made contributions to the development of curative therapies for hepatitis C (HCV), according to the company.

Citing an “expanding interest in humanized liver models across a range of applications,” the company will also be providing the model for use in safety, toxicity, and human-type drug metabolism studies.