ACEA Biosciences receives new U. S. Patent for chemical compound screening

ACEA Biosciences, Inc., a pioneer in the development of high-performance microelectronic systems for cell-based assays, diagnostics, and pharmaceutical research, is pleased to report the issuance of a new U. S. Patent for chemical compound screening, with important applications in the development of new pharmaceutical products. Testing and profiling of these candidate compounds by means of ACEA's real-time, label-free microelectronic technology provides the user with an accurate and cost effective method of screening chemical compounds and cytotoxicity profiling.

The xCELLigence System, invented by ACEA Biosciences and further co-developed by ACEA Biosciences and its cooperation partner Roche Applied Science, is marketed on a worldwide basis with Roche Applied Science.

As stated by Dr. Yama Abassi, ACEA's Senior Director of Research and Development, and Lead Inventor of the new patent: "The xCELLigence System is broadly used in biomedical research, toxicology, and pharmaceutical development. The new patent broadly covers the use of our real-time, label-free technology in the important area of drug discovery and pharmaceutical research and allows the investigator to effectively screen chemical compounds for cytotoxicity, and changes in cell behavior attributed to the chemical compound being tested. Importantly, what distinguishes this approach compared to traditional cytotoxicity assays is that it has the potential to reveal mechanism of toxicity which has implication in both pharmaceutical drug discovery and preclinical safety."

The new patent (US Patent No. 7,876,108, issued on January 25, 2011) entitled "Real time electronic cell sensing system and applications for cytotoxicity profiling and compound assays" includes broad claims for screening chemical compounds and chemical compositions for cytotoxic activities, and is very useful in testing the effects of compounds on growing cells, greatly simplifying the complicated process of chemical compound screening.

"We are very pleased to see this important addition to our patent portfolio," said Dr. Xiaobo Wang, ACEA Bioscience's Chief Technology Officer. "Chemical compound screening and cytotoxicity are very important and critical components in the drug discovery process, and the new patent, which is specifically related to the use of our label-free, real-time microelectronic technology in drug discovery, evaluates the novel label-free technology that makes this possible. The new patent clearly shows the usefulness of our impedance-based microelectronic technology in drug discovery and pharmaceutical research."