July 16, 2024
Dosing the central nervous system
Working with the central nervous system (CNS) is one of the most complicated aspects of any vivarium, requiring a high level of technical skill that few CROs can provide. Read on to learn about Envol’s vision for CNS dosing in nonhuman primate surgical models, and how they have developed highly successful teams to ensure excellence in these specialized service offerings.
Investing in long term success for a leading CRO center and surgical team
Envol has invested heavily into the development of their capabilities, with drug delivery the ultimate overarching driving force. Nonhuman primates are a vital tool in better understanding interventions like gene therapy and genetic delivery, antibodies and oligonucleotides. Many of the important questions regarding these therapies revolve around drug delivery, which can require invasive approaches to ensure access to the right target, as systemic delivery may not be able to get the molecule to where it needs to be. This is especially relevant when working with locations such as the CNS, which has been a very hot area in gene therapy recently.
Two major areas of investment that Envol has prioritized are their surgical models and their surgical capabilities. They have brought on highly experienced, leading surgeons from both the medical field and the veterinary field to build some of the best surgical teams in the country. When additional expertise can be used, Envol does not hesitate to ask for help. They have partnerships in industry with organizations such as ClearPoint, as well as in academia at the University of California in San Francisco, who bring in additional experience in MRI-guided dosing to the brain. Along with these top-notch teams, Envol has brought on a host of imaging capabilities, including x-ray and fluoroscopy.
Arguably most importantly, Envol understands the importance of drug delivery and making sure it translates into the clinic. Leading industry experts have been brought in to take what Envol has done best historically and evolve new capabilities, and teams are constantly growing and evolving to ensure that the needs of customers can be met to the highest level of satisfaction.
Not limited to the CNS, applications to other systems
These investments into CNS dosing and surgical capabilities extend to other points of entry as well. Whether that be cardiovascular, splenic, hepatic, or any other areas that may come up where a surgical model can be used to ensure efficient, effective drug delivery in the nonhuman primate model. Beyond just drug delivery, these surgical capabilities also allow for direct access to different ports or organ systems for the purpose of biopsies, isolations, or even routine sampling. These surgical models can reduce animal usage by allowing repeated sampling of the same animal over a period of time to gain additional information about a specific dosage, without the need for multiple animals. This reduction in animal use is one of the major advantages of using nonhuman primates, and another important factor driving the continued investment into Envol’s surgical capabilities.
Surgical services central to CNS gene therapy
The ability to include the surgical services specific to the CNS is vital in the realm of cell therapy and gene therapy as it continues to evolve. It is not easy to get effective drug delivery to the brain. These surgeries are notoriously difficult to perform successfully, and many laboratories are selling services and capabilities that they just aren’t ready to deliver on. In fact, at the beginning, even the highly qualified teams at Envol were encountering high failure rate for these CNS surgeries. However, Envol has invested the time, effort, and funding necessary to successfully develop their capabilities and ensure that they can deliver these CNS surgical services successfully. The ability to master these difficult skills not only betters the chance of bringing in customers looking for that unique skill, but it also allows relationships to flourish so that satisfied customers stick around for other types of programs offered as well.
A product clients can believe in
Clients have been consistently impressed with the data generated by their studies with Envol, which is a critical aspect of any CRO-client relationship. Clients need to know that they can count on the results they’re given, and of course they want to see good outcomes to their studies, two areas where Envol excels.
Contact Envol Biomedicals for more information on how they can meet your unique CNS dosing needs using their industry-leading surgical models, read previous customer testimonials, or to start discussing your study today.
