Sovicell and 3B Pharmaceuticals pioneer plasma protein binding analysis service

Leipzig, Germany: – ADME-Tox (ADMET) testing specialist manufacturer Sovicell has joined fellow German peptide drug discovery company 3B Pharmaceuticals GmbH to launch a novel service that can reliably quantify plasma protein binding across a much wider range of experimental drug candidates.

The new EScalate Plasma Protein Binding Assay Service is the first technology specifically developed to return reliable binding capacity and free fraction data for mid-sized organic compounds such as peptides, peptidomimetics and nucleic acid drugs.

Equilibrium Shift technology

The new EScalate mass spectrometry assay is based on Sovicell’s proprietary Equilibrium Shift single-compartment assay format technology. Sovicell has licensed 3B Pharmaceuticals as exclusive global service provider and will supply EScalate reagents. The companies will jointly promote the new service.

Sovicell CEO, Dr. Hinnerk Boriss, commented: “We are very impressed by 3B Pharmaceuticals’ mass spec analytics capabilities and expect the novel EScalate service format to make our technology more easily accessible for scientists in lead optimization and in the ADMET field.”

Optimized plasma protein binding analysis

Dr. Ulrich Reineke, Managing Director of 3B Pharmaceuticals added: “Sovicell’s technology has proven highly valuable in our discovery programs for optimizing the plasma half-life of peptides. The EScalate assay can be employed to guide decision making for subsequent PK studies in various animal model species. It has become a very useful element of our collaborative R&D offering.”

EScalate provides a novel way of analyzing the plasma protein binding of peptide drug candidates that tend to adhere to surfaces and cannot easily pass through the semi-permeable membrane in conventional two-chamber equilibrium dialysis RED devices.

The Equilibrium Shift membrane-less single-compartment assay format of EScalate is inherently insusceptible to adherence and diffusion issues. When combined with 3B Pharmaceuticals’ quality-controlled sample preparation and sophisticated mass spec analytics capabilities, it allows the free fraction to be reliably quantified even for very strong serum binders.

About Sovicell

Sovicell GmbH is a privately owned German manufacturer of ready-to-use test kits for tissue distribution and plasma protein binding of drugs with a state of the art assay development platform. With over 20 years of experience in pharmaceutical research Sovicell provides tailored assay kits for automation and robust analysis and is a dedicated provider of the ADMET tests used in pharmacokinetics. Sovicell’s range of ADMET-based products and services, enable customers to obtain rapid, accurate and reproducible pharmacokinetic data and side-effect predictions about candidate drugs or other test substances.

About 3B Pharmaceuticals

3B Pharmaceuticals is a privately-held German life sciences company developing targeted radiopharmaceutical drugs and diagnostics for oncology indications with a high unmet medical need. As a leader in peptide discovery and optimization, 3B Pharmaceuticals has built a technology platform extending from hit identification to early clinical development. Its collaborative R&D unit is running contract peptide drug discovery programs and providing services for pharmaceutical clients.