Singapore, 17 December 2008, Maccine, the preclinical contract research organisation, today announced the opening of a non-human primate imaging centre in their research facility in Singapore. The new capability consists of a clinical Positron Emission Tomography (PET) camera with an attached 64-slice Computed Tomography (CT) instrument. The new hardware will complement Maccine’s existing capabilities in imaging and translational medical research and represents a unique resource in the context of global preclinical contract research.
Maccine’s CEO Leigh Berryman commented on the opening, “The development of a facility of this sophistication is a reflection of the industry’s need for more predictive data, earlier in the discovery and development process. With this clinical hardware we can investigate the same endpoints that are targeted in patient populations but at a fraction of the price. We are in the business of reducing risk and the considerable benefits of leveraging this technology in our existing efficacy model portfolio will be evident from the added value that these readouts give to a drug candidate.”
Alex Wilson, Chief Scientific Officer, explained the rationale behind the investment, “This level of technology dedicated to translational preclinical research is not available anywhere else in the world and together with DEXA, MRI and ultrasound we have now developed an unparalleled range of imaging modalities in our labs here in Singapore. The team are committed to carbon as well as fluorine labelled entities and we have already tapped into high-level radiochemistry expertise to maximise the use of this world-class resource. Our models in the CNS and metabolism areas will be obvious first applications but the team is very creative and operate on a collaborative basis so we are open to any novel research interests utilising these capabilities.”
About Maccine:
Maccine is a Singapore based preclinical contract research organisation providing innovative discovery support and quality safety assessment services to the global biotech and pharma industry.
