Microbiology
Industry-standard methods including CLSI and EUCAST are used to test compounds for antimicrobial activity and determine minimum inhibitory concentration (MICs). Using these recognised methods, we identify areas where your lead series and compounds can meet areas of unmet clinical need.
Compound Screening: Hit Identification
We can rapidly screen your compounds against:
- Important pathogens of medical interest.
- Organisms that are typically difficult to handle and grow.
- Mammalian cell-lines in order to ascertain potential for cytotoxicity.
Compounds are ranked according to criteria such as potency, spectrum of activity, and chemical tractability in order to help you select compounds and series for further investigation.
Susceptibility Testing: Broad Spectrum Profiling
From early drug discovery through to later stage development activities, understanding the full potential of a compound with respect to its spectrum of activity is vital. This understanding helps define important areas for optimisation and where a developmental agent can compete against marketed drugs.
We screen discovery stage compounds against truncated and representative panels of clinical isolates of interest from StrainBank. This service offers a cost effective and timesaving approach to understanding a compounds' or series' potential with respect to its spectrum of susceptibility.
Detailed screening and profiling against a much larger panel of clinical isolates from StrainBank can also be performed against a small selection of later stage compounds. This approach is particularly useful during the candidate selection process or when a candidate is entering the early stages of development.
Combination Studies
We have significant expertise in assessing combinations of drugs in order to ascertain whether the combination is synergistic, additive, or antagonistic.
The effect of combining an antibacterial drug with another agent of interest can be important in defining how the drugs may interact with each other and whether any advantages can be gained from using a combination in a clinical setting. A range of techniques can be used in such situations and we can advise you on the best methodologies for your candidate compound.
Please contact us if you would like to discuss your microbiology requirements in more detail.
Pharmacology
Euprotec specialises in assessing the potential of your lead and candidate compounds to treat bacterial and fungal infections using in vitro and in vivo pharmacological methods. All models are suited to the development of small molecules, natural products, peptides, and biologics and we offer a range of highly validated approaches to assess the following:
- Tolerability of test compounds.
- Efficacy and pharmacodynamics.
- Higher throughput screening models.
- Detailed efficacy/pharmacodynamic assessment using multiple models.
- Effects of combining test compound(s) with other agents.
All models are designed to help you rapidly select compounds that are worthy of further progression and further characterise your candidates. The outcome(s) of these studies, used in conjunction with pharmacokinetic data of the test compound, can be used to help predict the doses required for clinical trials and thus improve clinical outcome(s).
We work with all of our clients to develop bespoke models that meet specific requirements. Please contact us if you would like to discuss your pharmacology needs in more detail.
ADME and PK
We are able to offer pharmacokinetic modelling services to fully describe the absorption and distribution of test compounds. Models and assays are designed to meet the needs of both earlier and later stage programs.
We use a range of techniques to help you ascertain your test articles' ADME and PK profile thus enabling you to rapidly prioritise compounds of interest in a cost effective manner. Our ADME services include the following:
Early stage Discovery
- Assessment of cytotoxicity potential of test compound against multiple cell lines
- Determination in vitro metabolic stability (liver microsomes, multiple species).
- In vitro permeability assays (including CaCo2 and MDCK).
Later stage Discovery and Development
- Pharmacokinetic profiling and bioanalysis.
- In silico modelling of in vivo pharmacokinetic data.
- Development of bespoke PK models and assays.
Please contact us to discuss your ADME and PK service requirements in more detail.
Medicinal Chemistry
Our medicinal chemistry expertise can assist your Hit to Lead and Lead Optimisation activities. Our network of contacts with CRO's based in the EU, US, and Asia provide fast access to a range of core services in synthetic chemistry, computational chemistry, and pre-formulation/formulation services. Euprotec can help you to:
- Prioritise hits and lead series.
- Develop SAR (Structure Activity Relationships).
- Assess the I.P. (Intellectual Property) landscape related to your hit and lead series.
- Optimise potency, selectivity, pharmacokinetics and efficacy.
- Identify a suitable formulation for early stage discovery and development activities.
Please contact us for further information regarding Euprotec's medicinal chemistry services.
StrainBank
As a partner of Euprotec you will have access to a unique collection of clinical isolates to help you establish the activity profile of your lead compounds and candidates. These isolates are highly characterised and, in many cases, mechanisms of resistance defined.
Our collection consists of (but is not limited to) the following:
Human Bacterial pathogens consisting of clinical and type cultures:
- Gram positive pathogens:
- Staphylococcus aureus including MRSA and VISA strains
- Beta Haemolytic streptococci groups A, B, C and G
- Streptococcus pneumoniae (including penicillin resistant strains)
- Vancomycin Resistant Streptococci (VRE)
- Bacillus species
- Clostridia (including difficile and perfringens)
- Gram negative pathogens
- E. coli including Extended Beta lactamase producing strains (ESBL)
- Acinetobacter baumannii including MDRAB
- Pseudomonas sp including carbapenem and aminoglycoside resistant strains
- Haemophilus influenzae
- Mycobacterium
Please contact us if you would like to gain access to StrainBank.
With our core focus on the infectious disease therapeutic area, Euprotec provides a comprehensive range of services dedicated to accelerating and streamlining your drug discovery and development activities.
We provide a wide range of established, fully validated, and industry standard assays. Due to the varied, and often unique, requirements of drug discovery programs we also offer a bespoke and individually tailored service. Examples include:
- Development of novel assays and models
- Characterisation of clinical isolates or mutant libraries
- Use of clients' specified isolates and mutants
At the core of Euprotec is StrainBank, an extensive collection of highly characterised clinical isolates which can be accessed in order to determine patterns of antimicrobial activity. We rapidly screen compounds against specific sections of StrainBank enabling a cost effective approach to understanding a compounds' spectrum of activity. The collection represents a broad range of bacteria indicated in many infectious diseases and is continually being updated to reflect current and emerging situations, such as the development of bacterial resistance.
You can expect timely and open communication with all findings reported rapidly and in-line with your requirements. Our team works directly with you, providing a professional and responsive service, ensuring your goals are met as efficiently as possible.
If you wish to hear more about our services or if something you require is not listed here, please contact us to discuss your needs in more detail.
Microbiology
StrainBank
Pharmacology
ADMET and PK
Medicinal Chemistry
