Introduction: emergence of advanced models for drug screening

Pharmaceutical development is risky

• $1 billion and 12.5 years to launch a technically successful drug
• 5% average success from first toxicity dose to market approval

To increase effectiveness of drug discovery, new disease-relevant cellular models have been developed

• Patient-derived models: Differentiated iPSCs, primary fibroblast, …
• 3D models: spheroids, organoids, tumoroids, …
• Other complex culture systems: co-culture and organotypic systems

Quantitative reverse transcription PCR (RT-qPCR) represents a method of choice to perform gene expression assays in the most disease-relevant cellular models

• No cell engineering needed / looking at endogenous targets
• Highly sensitive technique / mRNAs or other transcripts (miRNAs, snRNAs, …)
• Suitable for both screening and profiling

Evotec HTS RT-qPCR plaform has been designed to perform screening campaigns in the most advanced cellular models

• State-of-the-art cell generation and culture platform
• Cost effective approach thanks to an accelerated and optimized PCR protocol
• High-throughput: 384w and 1536w plate formats / up to 400k compound screening