HistologiX is a leading GLP/GCP compliant CRO supporting tissue-based evaluation of biomarkers. The company’s experienced scientific team provides specialist histology, immunohistochemistry (IHC), immunofluorescence (IF), and in situ hybridisation (ISH) services including multiplex assay development and application. HistologiX is also well equipped with digital pathology services including whole slide scanning and quantitative image analysis.
To learn more, we spoke to Peter De’Ath, Head of Client Management at HistologiX to discuss the company’s work and capabilities, as well as its partnership with Inaphaea.
Tell us more about HistologiX’s capabilities and why they are unique
HistologiX is a GLP/GCP-compliant CRO specialising in tissue-based analysis. Our expertise includes routine histology services, such as processing tissues from common toxicology species for histopathology assessment, alongside custom assay development with both chromogenic and immunofluorescent techniques. We work to detect proteins of interest (both endogenous and expressed transgenes), mRNA transcripts, and viral vectors, supporting a broad range of therapeutic areas and modalities from immuno-oncology and therapeutics – such as monoclonal antibodies – to cell and gene therapies and medical devices.
We are a full-service provider, offering the full breadth of services from tissue processing to lab-phase staining right through to final analysis and staining interpretation, whether through conventional histopathology or quantitative digital image analysis. Our focus is on addressing clients’ niche requirements, helping them to get the specific data they need to advance their drugs and treatments.
HistologiX also has a Human Tissue Authority (HTA) licence and broad network of suppliers, enabling us to source high-quality FFPE and frozen samples across both normal and diseased tissues further enabling us to support our clients’ projects.
Where does HistologiX fit in the drug discovery/development pipeline?
We support clients at all stages of the pipeline, from early target identification and selection through preclinical development and into clinical trials. What sets us apart is our ability to support clients at every stage of the drug development process in some form.
We work with organisations of all sizes, from small university spinouts and emerging biotechs to big pharma, with a footprint that spans the UK, Europe, the US, and Asia.
Why did you choose to partner with Inaphaea BioLabs and how do you work together?
Inaphaea has strong expertise in cell-based assays, which aligns with the interests of many of our clients. The partnership allows for lead-sharing between our teams.
We trust the Inaphaea team to deliver high-quality work. When we refer our clients to them, we are confident they will receive the same excellent standard of service we provide, and vice versa.
Finally, what are your views on the current state of the drug discovery market and what developments are you most excited about?
A key trend we’re seeing is that ‘more is better’ when it comes to the number of tissue markers you can analyse at any one time in a single sample, typically coined as a “hyper-plex” solution. This is an area we are actively exploring with some of our key partners, and it presents an exciting opportunity for us.
We are also excited about the further and more widespread integration of AI into the services we provide, particularly within imaging and image analysis. AI tools can assist with scanning and demarcating key tissue regions of interest, ultimately providing clearer images and enhancing our overall service offering, which is particularly important in the later drug development stages.
Find out more about HistologiX here.