CN Bio awarded Innovate UK grant to support non-animal pharmacokinetic testing
Cambridge-based CN Bio, a provider of organ-on-a-chip systems for drug discovery and development, has been awarded £180k in grant funding from Innovate UK to support the development of new approach methodologies for pharmacokinetic studies. The funding is being delivered in partnership with the National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research (NC3Rs).
The project aligns with the UK Government’s roadmap, published in November 2025, which sets out an ambition to reduce the use of dogs and non-human primates in pharmacokinetic studies by 35 per cent by 2030.
Addressing a translational gap
Pharmacokinetic studies, which characterise compound absorption, clearance and systemic exposure, remain heavily reliant on animal models despite progress in laboratory-based and computational methods. Such studies are frequently conducted in dogs and non-human primates, and are associated with high cost, limited throughput and constrained translatability to human physiology.
The funded project will focus on developing a workflow that integrates data generated from CN Bio’s human multi-organ micro-physiological systems (MPS) with physiologically-based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) modelling, with the aim of producing a more human-relevant alternative to conventional animal-based pharmacokinetic assessment.
Building on existing organ models
The work will build on CN Bio’s dual-organ PhysioMimix® Gut/Liver MPS platform, which is designed to recreate aspects of human tissue biology relevant to drug absorption and metabolism. Mechanistic data derived from the MPS will be used to generate pharmacokinetic parameters, which will then be incorporated into PBPK models to produce predictions intended to be clinically interpretable.
As part of the project, CN Bio will conduct a feasibility study examining the incorporation of a kidney model into its MPS platform, with the intention of enabling estimation of renal clearance and other excretion-related processes. The company will also assess the practicality of introducing liquid handling automation, with a view to improving throughput and reproducibility for routine use. CN Bio said it will work with contract research organisations to define the technical and operational requirements needed for adoption of the workflow.
Dr Yassen Abbas, Biology Group Leader at CN Bio, said: “We’re proud to have been selected for this project by Innovate UK, an exciting opportunity to advance the UK Government target to reduce dedicated PK studies using dogs or non-human primates by 35%. Understanding pharmacokinetics is crucial to determining a drug candidate’s efficacy and potential side effects, and this project represents a valuable new route to unlock earlier, human-relevant insights into drug disposition, ultimately supporting faster, more effective drug development.”
CN Bio’s broader portfolio of bioengineered MPS is intended to provide insights across drug safety, efficacy and pharmacokinetic analyses, supporting earlier decision-making in pharmaceutical pipelines.
Dr Yassen Abbas, Biology Group Leader at CN Bio
