A Medical Device Daily

Absorption Systems (Exton, Pennsylvania) reported that it has been awarded a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I grant to develop a tool to help determine the potential for drug-drug interactions.

Absorption Systems will use the $215,000 Phase I grant to further develop its CellPort Technologies assay system, a suite of pre-clinical in vitro test systems designed to provide definitive data regarding interactions between new drugs under investigation and specific transporter proteins that have been identified by the FDA as key indicators of drug safety.

The current suite of CellPort Technologies test systems includes assays for three different human drug efflux transporters.

"Lack of definitive models for in vitro assessment of efflux activity and related drug-drug interactions presents a major challenge in drug development," said President/CEO Patrick Dentinger.

The company said it plans to apply later this year for a follow-on Phase II SBIR grant, providing up to $750,000 over two years.