HUNTSVILLE — Discovery Life Sciences, the Huntsville-based biospecimen and biomarker company, has acquired ReachBio Research Labs of Seattle.
ReachBio specializes in cell-based assays, predictive hematotoxicity, and drug screening services.
This acquisition will allow Discovery to scale its consolidated drug discovery and preclinical development offerings to give customers access to a broader range of innovative and specialized cell biology services, the company said.
“We are thrilled to welcome ReachBio to the Discovery family,” said Discovery CEO Glenn Bilawsky. “ReachBio’s expertise in cell-based assays and drug screening favorably positions us to capitalize on the recent regulatory changes and continue to meet the rapidly evolving needs of the pharmaceutical industry.”
Dr. Emer Clarke, ReachBio’s chief scientific officer, said joining forces with Discovery is an exciting opportunity for his company.
“We share Discovery’s passion for science and believe that combining our expertise in cell-based assays and drug screening with Discovery’s broad multi-omics capabilities will enable us to provide a broader and more strategic range of services to clients in the pharmaceutical industry,” he said. “Together, we will further accelerate the advancement of drug discovery and development to improve patient outcomes.”
Known as “The Cell Biology Experts,” ReachBio’s expertise encompasses primary cell biology with a particular focus on blood and bone marrow stem cell assays. ReachBio provides immune response and toxicity assessments of new drug targets in hematologic diseases, cell and gene therapy, immunology, oncology, and immuno-oncology.
Discovery said its acquisition of ReachBio accelerates the continued growth of its cell biology and toxicology services, complementing its acquisitions of IVAL and Corning’s Gentest business unit.
ReachBio’s expertise in cell biology assay development and interpretation services are widely used to evaluate the potential toxicity of new drug candidates, enabling customers to make early and informed decisions about the drug candidates’ safety and potential efficacy.
