Mattawan, MICH., May 2, 2014 – MPI Research Chairman and CEO, William U. Parfet, Jack Hoppin, PhD, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of inviCRO, and Marc Berridge, PhD, President and Founder of 3D Imaging, today celebrated the grand opening of the new world-class Translational Imaging Center at the global headquarters of MPI Research in Mattawan, Mich. The facility is a one-of-a-kind resource with the sole objective of accelerating pharmaceutical discovery and development to benefit patients in need of new and improved therapeutics.
“The opening of the Translational Imaging Center is the culmination of a significant achievement for MPI Research and our partners, to provide breakthroughs to the next generation of life-saving medical treatments,” said William U. Parfet of MPI Research. “Researchers now have access to a supreme set of tools and services that can help fast-track critical drug development decisions while lowering costs like never before.”
The 10,000-square foot, two-story facility features the first commercially available cyclotron, which provides new opportunities for scientists to significantly accelerate the drug development process through the use of radioisotopes in molecular imaging to track distribution and efficacy of drug candidates. With enhanced precision and targeting, there is potential for reduced number of trials and test subjects, resulting in fewer repeat trials and minimized costs.
“We have already started work on studies for several Sponsors who recognize the value of having an expanded set of new resources and capabilities in one location,” said Marc Berridge of 3D Imaging. “There is every reason to believe the pace of interest will only accelerate as Sponsors seek ways to bring new medicines to market more efficiently.
The strategic partnership between MPI Research, inviCRO, and 3D Imaging offers a combination of essential translational equipment and expertise to generate the precise images and robust data sets needed for crucial drug development decisions. MPI Research provides comprehensive contract research services, while inviCRO provides a full range of imaging services and software solutions. 3D Imaging operates the cyclotron, bringing innovative radiochemistry to drug development research, a vast knowledge base, and experience with custom tracers in a wide range of animal models.
“Bringing our three teams together has generated a one-of-a-kind suite of services that can’t be found anywhere else,” said Jack Hoppin of inviCRO. “And this is just the beginning. We look forward to many ventures ahead as we continue to collaborate and draw on the strengths of each of our organizations.”
The three organizations broke ground on the project in September of 2013, and the cyclotron arrived in February 2014. With the grand opening of the Translational Imaging Center, services and products are now commercially available to the drug development community at large.
About the Translational Imaging Center
The 10,000-square-foot, two-story Translational Imaging Center, a partnership between MPI Research, inviCRO, and 3D Imaging, is housed on the grounds of MPI Research in Mattawan, Mich. The project leverages the distinct and complementary strengths of each partner, including inviCRO’s molecular imaging informatics team, 3D Imaging’s radiopharmaceutical group, and the comprehensive CRO-based services of MPI Research.
About MPI Research
MPI Research, with global headquarters in Mattawan, Mich., provides safety evaluation, discovery, bioanalytical and analytical services to the biopharmaceutical, medical device, animal health, and chemical industries. The company offers comprehensive imaging solutions including preclinical imaging, radiochemistry, and data analysis. Scientific knowledge and experience, responsiveness, integrity, trust, teamwork, and dedication to strong and enduring Sponsor relationships are the defining attributes that characterize MPI Research as a high-performance, high-quality organization that is committed to bringing safer and more effective products to the world. Learn more about how MPI Research can exceed your expectations at www.mpiresearch.com.
About inviCRO
inviCRO was founded with a mission of improving the value of imaging in drug discovery and development. The company provides a full range of imaging services and software solutions including contract research services, custom data analysis and software programs for image data management and high-throughput image processing. Its experienced team of more than 35 research scientists possesses unique capabilities in imaging physics, advanced biostatistics, multi-dimensional image processing and software development, and an intimate understanding of imaging systems, agents and animal models. Managing and/or processing more than 20 imaging studies per month across a broad range of applications, inviCRO has processed more than 100,000 scans over the past three years. inviCRO’s analysis and management software is used in over 100 imaging facilities worldwide and its use is growing. Find out more at www.invicro.com
About 3D Imaging
3D Imaging was established to bring innovative radiochemistry to drug development research. With an onsite cyclotron embedded in a major medical school research and teaching hospital, 3D Imaging produces any desired radiopharmaceutical. For the past seven years, 3D Imaging has offered preclinical, translational, and clinical PET imaging. Beginning with C-11 and F-18 labeled radiopharmaceuticals, including custom-labeled and custom-formulated drugs and drug candidates, 3D Imaging currently offers 45 different radiotracers. With the addition of novel, solid targetry for in-house production of I-124, Zr-89 and Cu-64, products labeled with these nuclides, and custom labeling with commercially available SPECT nuclides, there is no limit to the potential to produce the right tracer for any purpose. Find out more at www.3dimagingllc.com.