Andrew Reaume, President and CEOPresident and CEO, Andrew Reaume explains its technology has been pivotal in addressing a critical challenge within the industry: the need for ongoing discovery of novel and patented therapeutic agents amid escalating research and development (R&D) costs and market pressures.
But how does theraTRACE® tackle this challenge? The answer lies in the unique role it plays within the drug discovery and development process.
theraTRACE®’s non-hypothesis-driven approach allows for an unbiased evaluation of compounds. It employs a selection of dozens of the over 100 animal models that the company has established across numerous therapeutic areas, enabling the discovery of unforeseen efficacies of compounds. This approach not only offers a comprehensive understanding of a compound’s potential applications, but reveals new therapeutic opportunities about 30 percent of the time, even for well-characterized compounds.
“From our own internal R&D programs, we have subjected 27 of our repositioning candidates to our platform’s robust analysis, revealing new, unanticipated therapeutic applications for nine of them,” says Reaume.
From high-throughput screening, to lead candidate optimization and medicinal chemistry, on to pre-clinical and clinical development, there are many critical stages in the journey of a drug from lab bench to market. Of the hundreds of steps that make up this process, the most important milestone, apart from running a clinical trial that proves effectiveness in humans, is proving that the new drug works in an animal model of human disease. This pivotal step provides the necessary proof that a drug is worth taking on the risk of entering human clinical studies. This is the mission that Melior is dedicated to.
Beyond its truly unique approach towards phenotypic screening of late-stage preclinical compounds, the company excels in customizing pharmacology study designs, managing costs, and aligning with short lead times on a client-by-client basis. This flexibility enables clients to strategically navigate their drug development journey and make the leap from preclinical proof-of-concept to clinical studies.
That’s how Melior Discovery aptly upholds the essence of its name—the Latin for superior—by consistently pioneering better and more innovative methodologies in the preclinical in vivo pharmacology arena.
Stepping into Oncology
In the challenging path of drug discovery, Melior embarked on a transformative journey into oncology three years ago through the introduction of its oncology platform, Immuno-theraTRACE®. In the same way that theraTRACE® provides a non-hypothesis-based phenotypic screening approach across therapeutic areas, immuno-theraTRACE® provides a robust capability to screen immune-modulating agents, offering insights into their therapeutic potential across a variety of tumor types. This platform is not merely an expansion of Melior’s repertoire of animal models; it represents the company’s profound commitment to revolutionizing the future of cancer therapeutics.
Melior’s efforts in this domain are characterized by two broad categories of rodent models: xenograft and syngeneic models.
The xenograft models involve the use of human tumors—either derived from human cell lines or directly from human cancer tissue—implanted into rodents. This necessitates the use of immune-compromised animals to facilitate tumor growth. Over the last three years, Melior has significantly invested in a specialized facility to support this aspect of their oncology research, marking a pivotal development in this field.
Concurrently, Melior also leverages syngeneic models, which involve transplanting mouse-derived tumor cell lines into a genetically similar mouse strain. These models sidestep the issue of tumor rejection due to histocompatibility, creating an ideal environment to study a particularly promising class of cancer therapeutics: immunotherapies, including checkpoint inhibitors.
As Melior continues to navigate the ever-evolving landscape of oncology, Reaume believes these models signify more than scientific exploration. It encapsulates the company’s steadfast dedication to weaving innovation and impact together, all in the pursuit of a healthier tomorrow.
A Deep Dive into Analgesic Candidates
Melior’s opioidTRACE® platform, designed to address the nuances of analgesic therapy research, represents another strategic and specialized extension of its theraTRACE® technology.
The platform provides a degree of customization, allowing it to function in two distinct modes: a higher-throughput ‘screening mode’ for advanced candidate screening and a more comprehensive ‘full characterization mode’ for detailed analysis of lead compounds.
Rooted in the urgency to respond to the opioid crisis, opioidTRACE®’s primary goal is to identify advanced analgesics that can circumvent the limitations traditionally associated with opioid compounds, which include potential abuse due to addiction, gastrointestinal complications, and respiratory depression.
By integrating surveillance of these liabilities into a single, cohesive platform, opioidTRACE® positions itself as an important tool in the development of safer, more effective analgesics.
Where Innovation and Collaboration Converge
Melior Discovery’s team is composed of professionals who bring a wealth of diverse experiences, having honed their skills in the realms of big pharma, leading-edge biopharmaceutical companies, and academic institutions. Each member of the Melior team brings to the table a unique expertise, whether a nuanced understanding of animal behaviour, adeptness in surgical procedures, or proficiency in specialized technical disciplines.
Celebrated as a ‘Great Place to Work,’ Melior Discovery’s dedication to fostering a positive and synergistic workplace culture is evident in its significant growth, which includes a compounded annual growth rate of 29 percent over the past three years. This growth is a testament to their collective mission: to uncover new therapeutic potentials and pioneer discoveries of compounds that save lives.
