Infectious (anti-infective)

New and improved vaccines to prevent diseases such as influenza, hepatitis and HIV, as well as new antimicrobial agents with improved efficacy and safety, are top priorities for global health officials. Although the need for new anti-infectives has never been greater, infectious disease therapies are increasingly challenging to develop. 

 

With more than 25 years of experience in anti-infective drug discovery and development, Ricerca’s professional staff provides the primary- through tertiary-level in vivo and in vitro models needed at all stages of discovery. Our portfolio contains more than 40 strains regularly used in 16 common models in addition to custom isolates. All Ricerca validated anti-infective-related in vivo models use a broad panel of time-course or dose-dependent test articles vs. innoculum size variable.

 

Leading a staff of ID specialists are directors with extensive industry experience who have authored numerous peer-reviewed published articles in the anti-infective field. All have significant experience in preclinical pharmacology and drug development, and many have served as principal scientists and section leaders at major pharmaceutical companies.

 

Vaccines

Ricerca Biosciences’ vivarium consists of conventional animal rooms and BSL-2 compliant animal rooms. In-life and post-life staff are experienced in those techniques necessary to perform the FDA-recommended preclinical evaluation of vaccines. Preclinical study protocols are written and performed to support the clinical regimen of CBER requirements; these are designed to demonstrate the safety of the formulation and method of administration proposed for the clinical study. These services are overseen by experts who have extensive experience in preclinical vaccine development.

 

Ricerca's vaccine capabilities include:

 

  • General toxicology/safety pharmacology

  • Developmental and reproductive toxicity including antibody transfer (placenta and milk)

  • Biodistribution

  • Efficacy – passive and active immunization

  • Immunogenecity/Immunotoxicology

  • Reactogenicity

  • Adjuvant selection

  • Equivalency testing

Vaccine Types       
Ricerca has experience testing both prophylactic and therapeutic vaccines of a wide variety of types:

  • Bacterial vaccines

  • Fungal vaccines

  • Killed and live whole virus vaccines

  • Subunit vaccines – purified or recombinant viral antigen

  • Anti-idiotype antibodies (MoAb) targeted for cancer

  • RNA and DNA vaccines

Routes of Administration

  • Intramuscular

  • Intradermal

  • Intranasal

  • Subcutaneous

  • Intramedullary/intracerebral

Animal Species

  • Rats

  • Mice

  • Rabbits

  • Primates

  • Ferret

  • Minipig

  • Guinea pig

Click here to see a list of available anti-infective assays.

 

Supporting Services

  • Histology

  • Histopathology

  • Biomarker – immunohistochemistry

  • Screening and profiling assays

  • ImmunoSignal™ – mediator release analysis

  • OncoPanel™ – anti-cancer profiling and screening

  • Early safety screening – cellular toxicity

  • ADME/DMPK services