Translational Imaging Center to Speed Drug Development

The Translational Imaging Center, set to begin operations in early spring, is an advanced-imaging resource for the drug development community described as the first of its kind.

The center, a partnership between MPI Research, inviCRO and 3D Imaging LLC, is being constructed at MPI’s headquarters. It will serve as a first resource, combining molecular imaging, autoradiography and animal modeling with onsite cyclotron, vivarium and advanced image analytics.

The project will leverage the distinct and complementary strengths of each partner, including inviCRO's molecular imaging informatics team, 3D Imaging's radiopharmaceutical group, and MPI Research’s contract research organization based services.

“We have put together a facility and team capable of helping drug developers learn more about their compounds in a faster and more cost-effective way than ever before,” said William U. Parfet, MPI chairman, president and CEO. “We are helping 'de-risk' the testing process, accelerating decisions in a very powerful way.”

The center will translate preclinical data into clinical data, yielding critical insights that can accelerate decisions, discoveries and innovation. As a result, drug developers will have access to imaging, radiochemistry and informatics solutions to make faster, more informed decisions regarding a drug candidate's potential.

Decision making processes will evaluate three primary criteria: exposure at the target site, binding to the pharmacological target and expression of the intended pharmacology.

When applied to early- and mid-stage development, these imaging solutions answer key questions about drug candidates with a handful of studies. For late-stage developers, molecular imaging, along with other diagnostic processes in nonhuman primate models, will help define the best dosages for future clinical trials.

For more information, visit: www.mpiresearch.com