Animals will thank SenzaGen as it has signed a licence agreement with MB Research Labs, an animal-free, in vitro toxicological testing CRO in the US. The agreement gives MB Research Labs the right to market and sell immunotoxicity tester's GARDtest platform worldwide, simultaneously strengthening the Swiss company’s presence in the US market.
As a proponent of modern cell- and mechanistic-based solutions MB Research performs in vitro toxicological testing in the US, directed at cosmetic, consumer product and industrial chemical industries. This compliments SenzaGen’s focus on in vitro assays for immunotoxicity testing of chemicals.
Anki Malmborg Hager, CEO of SenzaGen, said: "By adding an additional CRO to our sales channels in the US, we have now given more end customers access to our innovative tests. In addition, with a driven and respected partner, we are increasing the possibilities of accelerating a change throughout the toxicological testing industry."
A keen interest in animal-free and alternative test methods is building, with introductions in legislation to ban animal testing for cosmetic and other products.
California was the first state to pass this type of legislation and the US animal-free market is expected to grow as more states follow suit. Even now, the US is an important market that currently accounts for just over one-third of the global market for cell-based in vitro testing.
SenzaGen's GARD product portfolio consists of a set of allergy tests. The tests are performed on human cells in test tubes (in vitro) in combination with artificial intelligence. This method is building in popularity to replace animal experiments for the cosmetics, chemical and pharmaceutical industries for their tests on whether chemical substances in products can be allergenic.
