In order to work more closely to our existing and new customers in Germany and Central Europe, we have established an office in Munich, Germany.
Our office is located at
Frankfurter Ring 150
80807 München
Mr Rakesh Kumar (MSc biotech) is the primary contact in our new German office.
Email: info@sbw.fi or directly rakesh.kumar <at> sbw.fi
Phone: +49 157 374 59428
Mit freundlichen Grüßen,
SBW
Cytochrome P450 enzymes (CYPs) have a central role in drug metabolism. Drug candidates inducing CYP expression or enzyme activity can potentially increase rate of metabolism and under-exposure of co-administered drugs. Strong CYP induction can be also a sign of hepatotoxicity.
We are pleased to offer a novel solution to study CYP and other drug metabolism related genes activity – TRAC. TRAC is a novel high-throughput solution for multiplexed expression analysis. We offer TRAC in collaboration with →Plexpress, the developers of the patented TRAC method and located next door to SBW in Viikki, Helsinki. Our combined service allows more efficient screening of gene expression induction of CYPs and other ADME related transcripts in human primary hepatocytes or HepaRG cells by the drug compounds. The gene expression analysis can also be combined with LC/MS-MS determination of →CYP metabolites as well as →CYP identification and CYP inhibition.
Compared to other methods, TRAC offers
• Significant cost savings in gene expression screening compared to qPCR
• All relevant CYP genes readily available as a multiplexed assay
• Multiplexing capacity of up to 30 genes/sample
• Reliable detection: excellent repeatability with CVs <10%, good correlation with qPCR
• Reliable normalization: housekeeping genes are analyzed from the same sample as the target genes
• Detection directly from cell lysates: no need for RNA extraction or cDNA conversion
Cytochrome P450 family enzymes
• Cyp1A1, Cyp1A2, Cyp2A6, Cyp2B6, Cyp2C8, Cyp2C9, Cyp2C19, Cyp2D6, Cyp2E1, Cyp3A4, CYP11A, CYP11B2, CYP17 and CYP19
Other genes:
• 17bHSD1, 17bHSD4, 3bHSD2, Por, Sult2A1, Ugt1A1, HMOX1, ABCA, ABCC2
Expression profiles of CYP3A4, CYP1A2 and CYP2B6 analyzed by TRAC in differently treated primary
hepatocytes from 3 donors. Error bars represent the standard error of the mean (SEM). Expression levels are
presented as fold change to vehicle treatment (DMSO). Data by Plexpress.
We offer a special 25% discount on CYP induction by TRAC studies, which have been ordered during February-March, 2012. The studies are conducted either by using cryopreserved primary hepatocytes or HepaRG cells. The detected transcripts include those listed above. Further customization to the study protocols are available, like used cell systems and detected transcripts.
The promotional offer also includes 25% discount on CYP inhibition and CYP identification studies, when ordered together with CYP TRAC.
Please contact us for more information and case studies comparing TRAC to other methods.
Conjugation metabolism (phase II metabolism) is a centrally important area in ADME studies. Understanding conjugation metabolism itself and e.g. its relation to reactive metabolites and idiosyncratic toxicity is currently well understood in many drug discovery projects. However, there are still less expertise available in conjugation metabolism as compared to the more standardized phase I / CYP metabolism.
In this respect, we are very pleased to announce a new scientist, Mika Kurkela, has joined SBW team. Mika Kurkela holds a M.Sc. in biochemistry and a bachelor’s degree in pharmacy from the University of Helsinki. He has over ten years experience in phase II drug metabolism studies and analytics of conjugated drug metabolites and published over 20 papers in peer reviewed journals on this topic (see PubMed). Mika has previously worked in the top academic research group focused on studies on structure and function of the UGTs (UDP-glucuronosyltransferases) and other conjugatin metabolism enzymes and participated in development of HTS (high throughput screening) methods for phase II metabolizing enzymes.
We are very enthusiastic of Mika joining our scientific team in Helsinki. Both Mika as well as Dr Finel (a member of SBW Scientific Advisory Board) demonstrate our commitment to the drug metabolism expertise and expanding our world leading expertise in drug metabolism to cover also the conjugation metabolism (phase II metabolism) in addition to our other established ADME-Tox services. We are currently working on a number of novel assays in drug conjugation area and will soon make them commercially available.
For more on our leading metabolism expertise, please see these pages:
ADME/DMPK and Lead Optimization
→Metabolite identification and stability
→Characterisation of reactive metabolites
→Metabolites in safety testing (MIST)
→CYP identification, inhibition and induction
Adjunct professor and Research group leader, Dr. Moshe Finel has joined SBW Scientific Advisory Board.
Dr Finel is a Group leader at the Centre for Drug Research (CDR), Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Helsinki, Finland. Dr. Finel got his M.Sc. in Life Sciences in 1983 from the Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel and his Ph.D. in Biochemistry in 1989 from the University of Helsinki. He obtained postdoctoral training in the Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Medical Research Council, Cambridge, UK.
Dr. Finel’s research interests are in Phase II / conjugation drug metabolism, mainly the glucuronidation of drugs and related compounds, as well as the enzymes that catalyze these reactions, the UDP-glucuronosyltransferases (UGTs). Dr. Finel has published over 100 publications and he has supervised many Ph.D. theses.
>>Find our more on Adjunct professor Finel’s research on this page
We are thrilled to annouce that we have moved to our brand new laboratory premises in Viikki science park, Helsinki, Finland. We have joined our cross discliplinary expertise into one location, with all the ADME/DMPK analytics (Novamass), protein and in vitro cell models as well as possibility for in vivo animal work (in addition to another in vivo site in Turku, Finland; 2 hrs distance). In addition to all the high-end instrumentation, more importantly also all the key personnel have also relocated to the new premises. High level of scientific expertise has always been one of the cornerstones in our work.
Viiki science campus is the leading life science campus in Finland. It is a vibrant ecosystem of drug discovery and other life-science companies together with very high profile university life-science faculties and research groups in a very modern campus area. Just next door to us are many of the leading scientific institutes in Finland, e.g. University of Helsinki, Center for Drug Discovery, Faculty of Biological Science, Institute of Biotechnology and Neuroscience Center, with which we have various collaboration projects for developing new expertise to drug discovery.
The relocation and following setup, calibrations and validations took place during the Christmas – New Year period and currently we are fully operational in the new premises.
During the following weeks and months, new high end instrumentation beyond what we already have, will arrive and new expertise services will be launched with recruited new personnel. This all is in addition to our previous expertise. Stay tuned for more information.
Our email addresses and phone/fax number stay the same, please see the new visiting address on this page www.sbw.fi/contact.
Pharmacokinetic studies can become a bottleneck in the screening phase due to the high number of samples collected to assess the PK properties of multiple molecules, in various time points, and by alternative administration routes. Cassette dosing, simultaneous administration of multiple molecules in one animal, dramatically reduces the number of samples collected and animals sacrificed, and consequently, saves time and money. Read more on our PK expertise from this link.
In December 2011 we offer SimaPilot -a cassette dosing study:
* Up to 5 simultaneously administered molecules
* In rat or in mouse
* With 5 time points, 2 animals per time point
* With iv and po administration
* The parent concentrations are analysed by UPLC/MS-MS
During the campaign, the price of the SimaPilot includes free Plasma Protein Binding (RED) for the same molecules in rat or mouse.
This offer is valid until the end of 2011. The studies will be conducted in January – February, 2012. Maximum of one cassette of compounds per a customer.
Please send price list and quotation on request to info@sbw.fi or connect to us from this page.
SBW is an innovative and dynamic biotechnology company for drug discovery and development services and related areas. Our skillful and dedicated employees are the key asset in our success to develop and provide leading services for our customers. Our services and platforms include:
- Discovery biology, genomics, proteomics, molecular biology
- Biomarker discovery
- In vivo disease models in CVD, diabetes, oncology etc.
- Metabolism and drug interaction studies, bioanalytics and ADME
- Pharmacokinetics
- In silico, in vitro and in vivo toxicology and safety pharmacology
We are looking a skillful TECHNICIAN / RESEARCH ASSISTANT with a great learning ability to join our Discovery biology and Metabolism teams in Helsinki. Experience in mass spectrometry and molecular biology analysis as well as lab management is favorable.
1-Jan-2012 :
Thank you for all applicant’s interest, this position is now filled with an excellent new biochemist joining to our team in Helsinki.
Should you be interested to work in SBW, please contact us for an opportunity to join our enthusiastic people for a challenging position by sending your CV and personal application by email to careers <at> sbw.fi.
We have a new in vivo efficacy model available for Inflammatory bowel disease, like ulcerative colitis and Crohn disease mice model. This is a mice model, where colitis is induced with dextran sodium sulfate (DSS).
“Crohn’s disease causes inflammation of the digestive system. It is one of a group of diseases called inflammatory bowel disease. The disease can affect any area from the mouth to the anus. It often affects the lower part of the small intestine called the ileum.”National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
The acute DSS colitis model in susceptible mice strains is particularly useful to study the contribution of innate immune mechanisms of colitis.
The Average Colitis Index (ACI) is calculated, including the body weight, faeces consistency and faecal blood. Experimental groups were compared to healthy controls that were access to normal tap water. The results were evaluated statistically.
See more on our Gastro-Intestinal models on this page and an overview of our in vivo disease models on this link.
SBW is acknowledged as one of the CROs in Finland providing expertise in Diabetes, CNS diseases and cardiovascular diseases.
The Finnish funding agency for technology and innovation (TEKES) has listed SBW in the portal of the Finnish Pharma and Life Science Expertise website. Please follow this link to find out more.
We are starting the validation of the mouse animal model for Crohn’s disease. The model will be available in the beginning of the next year. This model will supplement our GI tract animal model services (GI tract irritation / ulcers).
“Crohn’s disease causes inflammation of the digestive system. It is one of a group of diseases called inflammatory bowel disease. The disease can affect any area from the mouth to the anus. It often affects the lower part of the small intestine called the ileum.”National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
See more on our Gastro-Intestinal models on this page and an overview of our in vivo disease models on this link.
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