Eurofins Discovery provides comprehensive in vitro toxicology services for drug discovery, helping pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies assess drug safety profiles early in development. Our predictive toxicology platforms use advanced cell-based assays and high-content analysis to identify potential safety liabilities before clinical development.
By combining scientific expertise, state-of-the-art instrumentation, and scalable screening platforms, we deliver reliable, reproducible safety data with fast turnaround times to support confident decision-making across discovery programs.
Why In Vitro Toxicology Matters in Drug Discovery
Early safety assessment is critical for reducing late-stage failures and improving drug development success rates. In vitro toxicology testing allows researchers to identify potential toxicities, evaluate mechanisms of cellular damage, and prioritize safer drug candidates.
Benefits of Early Toxicology Screening
In vitro toxicology assays help drug discovery teams:
- Detect safety risks early in compound development
- Evaluate mechanisms of toxicity and cellular stress responses
- Prioritize compounds with improved safety profiles
- Reduce costly late-stage failures
- Support regulatory safety evaluation strategies
These assays provide rapid, cost-effective safety insights that guide medicinal chemistry and lead optimization efforts.
Hepatotoxicity Screening and Liver Safety Assessment
Hepatotoxicity remains one of the leading causes of drug attrition and post-market withdrawal. Eurofins Discovery offers a comprehensive portfolio of assays to evaluate potential liver toxicity in drug candidates.
Liver Toxicity Assays
Our hepatotoxicity testing platforms utilize:
- Primary human hepatocytes
- HepG2 cells
- Additional liver cell models
These assays evaluate multiple toxicity endpoints, including:
- Cytotoxicity
- Mitochondrial toxicity
- Oxidative stress
- Apoptosis
- Phospholipidosis
High-throughput and high-content analysis (HCA) technologies enable efficient screening of large compound libraries while providing detailed mechanistic insights.
Cardiotoxicity and Ion Channel Safety Pharmacology
Cardiotoxicity is another major cause of drug withdrawal and development failure. Eurofins Discovery offers an industry-leading portfolio of ion channel assays and electrophysiology platforms to assess cardiac safety risks.
Ion Channel and Electrophysiology Platforms
Our capabilities include:
- Ion channel binding assays
- Functional electrophysiology assays
- Manual patch clamp (gold standard)
- Automated high-throughput electrophysiology
- 384-well screening platforms
Our experienced electrophysiologists help determine the optimal assay strategy—from screening to data interpretation—to support cardiac safety assessment.
Genotoxicity Screening
Eurofins Discovery provides regulatory-recommended genotoxicity assays to identify compounds that may cause DNA damage or chromosomal abnormalities.
Key Genotoxicity Assays
Our services include:
- Ames fluctuation assay for mutagenicity screening
- In vitro micronucleus assay for chromosome damage detection
Both assays support high-throughput compound screening and utilize automated scoring technologies to generate objective, reproducible data.
Expanded In Vitro Toxicology Capabilities
Our in vitro toxicology services extend beyond liver, cardiac, and genotoxicity testing to evaluate a wide range of safety liabilities. These services support lead optimization and compound safety profiling across drug discovery programs.
Additional Toxicology Services
Eurofins Discovery offers assays for:
- Nephrotoxicity
- Neurotoxicity
- Target organ toxicity
- Metabolism-mediated toxicity
- Mechanism-based toxicity
- Reactive metabolite detection
- Mitochondrial toxicity and membrane potential analysis
- Drug–drug interaction risk
- ADME/PK-related toxicity
Integrated Drug Safety Assessment
Eurofins Discovery offers flexible service models, allowing researchers to order individual toxicology assays or integrated safety screening packages designed to streamline early drug candidate evaluation.
Our drug candidate assessment packages combine key in vitro toxicology services to deliver cost-effective safety profiling and accelerate decision-making.
Eurofins Discovery’s industry-leading in vitro safety pharmacology services provide comprehensive screening of off-target effects and potential adverse drug reactions (ADRs) across key target classes, enabling for early drug candidate risk assessment. In addition, our clients have access to in vivo safety assessment through our partner lab Pharmacology Discovery Services, enabling a seamless transition from early in vitro screening to advanced safety studies.
Why Partner with Eurofins Discovery for In Vitro Toxicology
Eurofins Discovery combines deep expertise in toxicology, electrophysiology, and cell-based screening with advanced technology platforms to support modern drug discovery.
Key Advantages
Our goal is to help researchers identify safety risks early and advance the most promising drug candidates with confidence.
- Comprehensive in vitro toxicology assay portfolio
- High-throughput and high-content screening technologies
- Industry-leading ion channel and electrophysiology platforms
- Flexible assay formats and custom services
- Rapid turnaround and reproducible data
Start Your Drug Safety Assessment
Assess safety risks earlier and accelerate your pipeline with Eurofins Discovery’s in vitro toxicology services for drug discovery.
