Discovery Life Sciences, a biospecimen/biomarker specialist, acquired ReachBio Research Labs, a company specializing in cell-based assays, predictive hematotoxicity, and drug screening services. The acquisition will allow Discovery to scale its consolidated drug discovery and preclinical development offerings to give customers access to a broader range of innovative and specialized cell biology services.

“We are thrilled to welcome ReachBio to the Discovery family,” said Discovery CEO Glenn Bilawsky. “ReachBio’s expertise in cell-based assays and drug screening favorably positions us to capitalize on the recent regulatory changes and continue to meet the rapidly evolving needs of the pharmaceutical industry.”

“Joining forces with Discovery is an exciting opportunity for us,” said Emer Clarke, ReachBio’s chief scientific officer. “We share Discovery’s passion for science and believe that combining our expertise in cell-based assays and drug screening with Discovery’s broad multi-omics capabilities will enable us to provide a broader and more strategic range of services to clients in the pharmaceutical industry.”

ReachBio’s expertise encompasses primary cell biology with a particular focus on blood and bone marrow stem cell assays. ReachBio supports its clients’ basic research in multiple therapeutic areas. It provides immune response and toxicity assessments of new drug targets in hematologic diseases, cell and gene therapy, immunology, oncology, and immuno-oncology.
In a statement, Discovery noted that it has increased its strategic investments in innovative preclinical development services.

The company’s acquisition of ReachBio accelerates the continued growth of its cell biology and toxicology services, complementing Discovery’s prior acquisitions of IVAL and Corning’s Gentest business unit. ReachBio’s expertise in cell biology assay development and interpretation services are widely used to evaluate the potential toxicity of new drug candidates―enabling customers to make early and informed decisions about the drug candidates’ safety and potential efficacy.