Discussion

Drug development is an expensive and time-consuming process. Usage of sub-optimal preclinical models can also lead to delays in gaining regulatory approval for many drugs. Animal models, once the gold-standard, are falling out of favour because they do not accurately represent the human body and are neither ethical nor sustainable. There is an increasing demand for patient-specific models that can more accurately recapitulate the physiological state of diseased tissue. Consequently, newer technologies such as organoids and spheroids are replacing animal models. In this spotlight talk, I will highlight our contributions to the development of relevant disease models for drug discovery, by sharing two interesting studies using Takara Bio solutions.