Major ion channel contributions from ChanTest scientists:

  • First to prove direct block of the hERG potassium channel as the cause of delayed repolarization and sudden cardiac death linked to non-cardiac drugs including Seldane (terfenadine), Propulsid (cisapride) and Nizoral (ketoconazole).
  • Discovered block of hERG trafficking by drugs including arsenic trioxide and pentamidine that may cause sudden cardiac death
  • Developed proprietary ion channel trafficking assays
  • Discovered ion conduction pathways (pores) of voltage-gated and inwardly rectifying potassium channels
  • Elucidated cardiac ion channelopathy phenotypes
  • 300+ papers published in peer-reviewed journals (see publications page on this site)

ChanTest milestones:

  • Pioneered the hERG patch clamp assay as a preclinical predictor of delayed repolarization, QT prolongation and torsades de pointes. This assay is now required in regulatory IND submissions.
  • Introduced its patented HERG-Lite trafficking assay as a preclinical predictor of hERG risk
  • Continued development of assays to quantify hERG, APD and QT risk
  • Experienced in safety testing of all chemical classes of QT-prolonging drugs
  • Tested 12,000+ compounds for more than 300 global customers
  • Named “most trusted fee-for-service provider” for ion channel screening in the HTStec Ion Channel Trends Survey for 2006 and 2007
  • Developing and validating the world’s most comprehensive library/catalog of ion channel-expressing cell lines (Ion Channel Catalog)
  • Optimizing each cell line on each of the major automated electrophysiology platforms: PatchXpress, QPatch, IonWorks Quattro and FLIPRTetra
  • Introducing Ion Channel Panels for primary and secondary pharmacodynamic profiling according to tissue (e.g., Cardiac Channel Panel), disease (e.g., Pain Channel Panel) or ion channel family (e.g., Nav1.x Channel Panel)
  • Pioneering Channel Panels as FDA Critical Path tools for efficiently progressing drug candidates through development
  • Inspected by more than 150 sponsors for GLP compliance
  • Successful inspection by FDA for GLP compliance