Molecular Devices opens U.K. facility to make patient-derived organoids

Molecular Devices recently announced it opened its custom-built bioanalytical site in the U.K.

The new facility is based in Cardiff, Wales, and is custom-built for the company’s bioprocess workflow and unique bioreactor technology. Molecular Devices’ biotechnology allows pharmaceutical companies to manufacture patient-derived organoids (PDOs) at scale in a quality-controlled manner.

“Molecular Devices is the only company to commercially manufacture PDOs in single batches large enough to support screens of more than 20,000 compounds. With our new facility, we now have the capacity to manufacture 300 million PDOs annually. Given the utility of PDOs for precision medicine and predictive toxicology, their expanded availability for use in drug discovery will reduce the time and cost of bringing new life-saving therapies to the market,” President Mary Duseau said in a news release.

Molecular Devices’ manufacturing enables high volumes of 3D Ready reproducible PDOs that are offered as a service and cryopreserved in an assay-ready format. They can be thawed, plated and used as desired by researchers.

“At HUB Organoids, we recognize the immense potential of organoids and are committed to advancing this cutting-edge technology. Opening this state-of-the-art facility marks a pivotal moment in the field, as Molecular Devices, one of our key licensees, can now grow organoids at scale to meet the growing demands of researchers worldwide. It not only enables them to accelerate progress in understanding human biology and disease mechanisms but also sets their customers up for breakthroughs in drug discovery and personalized medicine,” HUB Organoids CEO Robert Vries said.