ChanTest saves customers resources, while making better, safer drugs

ChanTest’s primary focus is on a family of proteins known as ion channels. There are 400 genes encoding ion channels in the human genome, and countless more ion channels can be assembled from this gene collection. Ion channels control major bodily functions, including excitation, contraction, secretion, and fluid volume. When drugs act unintentionally on them, dangerous side effects, like sudden cardiac death or convulsions, may result. Ion channel testing for drug safety is now a standard component of regulatory submissions prior to approval of drugs in humans.
Ion channels are also valuable primary targets for new drug therapies for hypertension, arrhythmia, epilepsy, diabetes, and many other diseases.

ChanTest uses patch clamp electrophysiological techniques to measure current in cells that are stably transfected with the hERG cDNA. ChanTest has the “tightest IC₅₀s ever published,” according to Kirsch et al. J Pharm Tox Method 2004.
See ChanTest results compared with the broad range of published hERG IC₅₀ values.

Innovation at work

We’re leading the next major advance in ion channel research and services with a $10 million investment in our library of ion channel-expressing cell lines. Click here for the latest list. Each cell line may be thought of as an “ion channel book.” ChanTest validates the structure, function, and pharmacology of each book, and characterizes performance on the major functional assay systems. “Books” can be mixed and matched to form a broad array of discovery and safety Ion Channel Panel™ profiles by organ or therapeutic area, e.g. Cardiac Channel Panel™ or Pain/Inflammation Channel Panel™.

Now, for the first time, pharmaceutical and biotech companies can profile the efficacy and selectivity of drug leads against a broad set of ion channels in functional, cell-based assays: we can screen drug leads, or even large compound collections, against the entire library or specific Ion Channel Panels. Our goal: to speed our customers’ drug-development process, save them time and money, and ultimately – to help make better, safer drugs.