Looking back over our history, it is clear we have come a long way in our growth, expanding our offerings and adding to our already extensive expertise in non-clinical testing services for drug developers worldwide.
Our History: More Than 25 Years of Building ADME & DDI Expertise
Laboratory Beginnings
In 1994, Dr. Andrew Parkinson was working in a lab at the University of Kansas Medical Center studying xenobiotics and recognized the growing need for drug developers to have an expert partner they could trust to explore the complexity of potential pathways of a drug through the body—much more work than one small university lab could handle. Thus, XenoTech was started by Dr. Parkinson and a small group of ambitious scientists eager to apply their expertise to development of safe, effective therapies for the patients that need them.
The name XenoTech stems from the term xenobiotic, a foreign substance to the body (such as a drug) which can have therapeutic or harmful effects. The space carved out by XenoTech and others explores intricacies of a drug’s metabolism and pharmacokinetic (DMPK) properties through investigation of interactions with the body via absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME). Many aspects of these properties can be explored through definitive experiments in vitro and have become a prerequisite for entry into clinical trials, so drug companies have come to rely on the experience of experts at XenoTech for quality studies carefully designed to meet rigorous testing standards.
Young XenoTech developed into a leader in its field, writing the book on xenobiotic biotransformation— literally! The authors of the Biotransformation of Xenobiotics chapter in Casarett & Doull’s Toxicology have been predominantly XenoTech scientists. Some of the methods of conducting ADME studies or producing high-quality test systems which are now standard across the industry were born within our walls, and scientists have continued that legacy of leadership ever since.
For the next 15 years, XenoTech grew to provide products and services specific to nonclinical in vitro studies for worldwide drug developers used in submissions for regulatory approval. Over that time, the company grew from just a few people in a small lab to a state of the art laboratory facility in Kansas.
As our lab grows, we continue to place high value on innovation and efficiency to provide our clients with the most accurate and predictive data possible. In keeping with these principles, XenoTech scientists have consistently produced new technologies, such as patented cryopreservation techniques and novel in vitro processes to evaluate xenobiotic compounds in hepatocytes, and novel ways to evaluate therapeutic proteins as immunomodulators.
New Ties: In Vivo ADME with The Drug Development Solutions Center
Then in 2008, XenoTech was acquired by SEKISUI Chemical, an $11 billion global powerhouse in high-performance plastics, urban infrastructure, environmental products, and housing. A critical result of that transition was to significantly expand our capabilities by joining forces with another ADME laboratory across the world.
That laboratory was called The Drug Development Solutions Center and got its start almost 40 years before XenoTech. In 1955, Japan’s first radioisotope (RI) laboratory was established by Daiichi-Pure Chemicals to research and produce 14C labeled compounds. The lab soon expanded its niche role to also conduct studies , and in 1971 became the first in Japan to contract ADME studies in vivo.
The company continued to build experience and expertise in this field and became the largest market share holder for ADME studies in Japan. Through our partnership and the sharing of knowledge between labs, we were able to take another important step on our journey towards being able to offer comprehensive ADME, joining their in vivo expertise to our in vitro as well as expanding areas of research include drug transporters, drug-drug interactions, and more.
Although we are no longer part of the SEKISUI family, we still collaborate on various nonclinical studies and provide test systems to their customers.
Final Steps Towards Comprehensive ADME (and Beyond)
In September of 2022, XenoTech joined BioIVT, further expanding the companies’ combined biospecimen research products portfolio and ADME-Tox and Drug-Drug Interaction research services. The acquisition gives legacy customers of both XenoTech and BioIVT access to a larger team of highly experienced scientists and study directors in pharmacokinetics, metabolism, DDI, toxicology, and transporter research.
We are excited to continue to service your product and ADME/DDI research needs and to provide access to a greatly expanded portfolio. As we integrate, you will experience our collective commitment to providing the highest quality in products and services with superior customer support. Together, we proudly offer a uniquely qualified suite of nonclinical studies and test systems to help drug developers navigate through myriad possible circumstances and feel confident in partnership with the true experts in ADME/DMPK/DDI.
