The cost of bringing a therapeutic to market varies but was recently calculated to be an average of $5 billion. Organovo’s 3-D printing platform for organs and organ tissue could make the cost of bringing therapeutics to market more cost-effective. How? It’s developing effective models for testing the efficacy and toxicology of medications in humans. Organovo (AMEX: ONVO) is seeing progress from its work with liver cells. It expanded the life span of its bioprinted liver tissue from five days to 40 days.
Next year, its first product launch will be a 3-D liver model for pharma customers for toxicology testing, according to an interview with Engineering.com.
The company’s approach focuses on 3-D bioprinting — producing human tissue and ultimately human organs using inks composed of different human cells.
Liver cells — particularly hepatocytes — are widely used in labs to assess the potential toxicity or efficacy of drugs. The problem is they are tough to replicate outside the body and generally have a short life span. So a platform that can make them last 40 days is big news.
The motivation behind creating 3-D testing models for pre-clinical use is similar to organ-on-a-chip. Organovo’s 3-D liver model could help pharmaceutical companies spot potential problems with medication earlier, before it enters the clinic, so pharmaceutical companies can make more informed research and development decisions. Long term, the company is developing 3-D printed arteries and tissue to aid patients with ailments ranging from trauma to heart disease — disruptive healthcare technology in the future of healthcare.
Earlier this year, Organovo initiated a collaboration with Oregon Health & Science University’s Knight Cancer Institute to create 3D models of breast and pancreatic tumors for researchers to use in drug discovery and development.
3-D printed organs are set to be a big part of the future of healthcare technology but this segment of the medical device industry remains in its early stages of development. By 2025, Luxe Research projects 3-D printing in medicine will grow into a $1.9 billion industry.
