Though not as buzzworthy as biologics or some other trendy therapies, small molecules (i.e., organic compounds with a low molecular weight) make up the majority of drugs on the market, and small molecule research is on the rise. In fact, the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) approved more new molecular entities in …
Beauty and the Bacteria: Mechanical Forces in a Multispecies Biofilm Colony
Diverse, abundant microbial communities are found across all of the earth’s ecosystems, from the human intestinal tract to deep water hydrothermal vents to rainforest canopies. Scientists are interested in how these different species of bacteria interact and what that could mean for advancements in science and medicine.
Small Molecule Drug Discovery Opening Doors for Chronic Disease Management
Although large molecule drug discovery has become more popular recently, small molecules have always acted as the basis for the majority of drug research and development and are expected to remain in demand in the years to come. In fact, one study estimates that the global market for small molecule drug discovery will grow at …
The Importance of Animal Welfare in Preclinical In Vivo Research
Until recently, many scientists were convinced that animal welfare and high-quality animal research were not compatible. Animal welfare was considered a nuisance that should be circumvented if possible, so scientists put in as little effort as possible. Fortunately, animal welfare experts refused to stop pushing the scientific community to pay attention to improvements in this …
Available Now! Tiotropium Assay for Generic and 505(b)(2) Studies.
While the wave of small molecule drug therapies going off patent has peaked, there are still a number that will be losing patent protection over the coming years. The need for rapid development of new generic equivalents is as critical as it has ever been. One of those drugs reaching the end of its patent …
Impact of Biomarkers on Current Parkinson’s Disease Treatment Research
About a century ago, Otto Loewi discovered in his laboratories in Graz, Austria, that nerve impulses are transmitted by chemical messengers like acetylcholine. Since then, the field of neuroscience has advanced significantly and the scientific interest in this research field rapidly grew. It became obvious that disturbed neurotransmission is a common characteristic of many neurodegenerative …
Inflammatory Disease Models and Biomarkers
Trained and supervised by internationally recognized experts, we have acquired skills in a variety of inflammatory disease models at QPS. Such models can be applied to study immune responses, biomarkers, and the pathophysiology following specific triggers and for proof of concept studies with (targeted) interventions. Disease models also offer the advantage of (non-invasive) biomarker samplings, …
Accelerating Pharmaceutical Breakthroughs for CNS Disorders
Although we’ve made great progress in our understanding of the central nervous system (CNS) and the disorders that affect it, CNS drug development continues to pose many challenges. The high failure rate may seem discouraging, but it’s important to remember that failure is an inevitable component of innovation. With Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia …
DDI Studies: The Final Frontier?
QPS recognizes the importance of well-conducted clinical trials on drug-drug interactions. Historically, the CYP450 interactions provided valuable information for the safe use of drugs, being an inhibitor, inducer or substrate of one or more of the CYP isoenzymes. In addition, studies on phenotyping-genotyping helped to understand the behavior of a number of drugs in genetically …
Challenging the Inhaled Allergen Challenge
Presently, the QPS Respiratory Team is making progress on a large data-intensive, 2-centre allergen challenge study in eosinophilic allergic asthma testing an innovative new drug in close collaboration with our partnering University Centres: Amsterdam (AMC) and Groningen (UMCG). This study is a good example of QPS’ scientific expertise and partnership with academic networks-of-excellence. This enables …
