A Medical Device Daily

Absorption Systems (Exton, Pennsylvania) reported it has been awarded a Phase II Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant from the FDA to continue development of the company's CellPort Technologies testing platform.

This company said that this assay platform enables more specific prediction of potential drug-drug interactions mediated by human drug transport proteins. According to the company, CellPort Technologies will become a key component of what is referred to as "Translational Medicine," the process of translating the results from in vitro assays in model systems into human outcomes in the clinic.

CellPort Technologies is a suite of in vitro test systems designed to provide definitive human prediction regarding interactions of drugs with a class of proteins called drug transporters. Drug transporters play a vital role in mediating drug disposition throughout the body. A drug that interferes with the ability of a transporter to eliminate another (co-administered) drug can lead to elevated levels of the second drug, raising concerns about drug safety and toxicity.

The grant will allow Absorption Systems to dedicate staff for the next two years to optimize, scale-up and ultimately commercialize the technology.