BioDuro LLC, a global life sciences CDMO has established a new drug discovery center for chemistry and biology in San Diego, CA. The discovery unit aims to help drug developers advance into the clinic by allowing researchers to learn more about the chemistry and biology of their drugs earlier than ever before.

The new biology discovery unit features translational oncology and immuno-oncology capabilities centered around high fidelity patient-derived tumor models, such as in vitro 3D human tumor microenvironment (hTME-3DX Screen and Verify), or in vivo patient-derived xenograft (PDX). The site features immuno-oncology capability with development of patient-matched tumor/immune cell models, originating from tmore than 100,000 viable specimens. Additionally, the San Diego discovery center offers researchers a regional site for oncology studies requiring local capability. These new capabilities complement the company’s existing oncology footprint in Shanghai, including in vitro screening, in vivo cell line-derived xenograft (CDX), syngeneic and PDX.

CMC operations under the same facility provide drug product development, analytical testing and GMP manufacturing for clinical trial materials.

“The addition of the translational oncology site in San Diego allows our oncology clients to study their drugs in real patient-based tumor and immune cell models,” said Thomas B. Broudy, EVP Translational Sciences.  “These models more accurately represent the clinical population, and that helps our drug development partners to build confident clinical strategies—from cancer type to patient selection to combination approaches.”

“San Diego is regarded as one of the largest biotech hubs worldwide, and its geographical location makes it readily accessible to our domestic and international partners,” said Cyrus K. Mirsaidi, president and chief executive officer. “Expansion of our San Diego facilities, and growth of our Drug Discovery capabilities, reflects our commitment to providing continuous and innovative service offerings to reduce the time and cost of new drug development.”