VivoSim expands NAMkind platform with rat liver model
SAN DIEGO, Sept. 01, 2026 /CourierPR/ -- VivoSim Labs, Inc., a provider of advanced New Approach Methodologies (NAM) 3D human cellular models for preclinical safety, is expanding its NAMkind™ platform by developing a rat liver model. This new addition aims to complement the existing human liver model and address a critical gap in drug development.
The rat liver model is designed to address a long-standing challenge: toxicity observed in rats often does not translate to humans. VivoSim's current human liver model is aimed at identifying human toxicity that may not be apparent in animal studies. The planned rat model will offer the reverse capability, allowing researchers to determine whether adverse findings in rats are species-specific.
"Having the ability to look at the same toxicity question from both sides is crucial for making informed decisions," said Keith Murphy, Executive Chairman of VivoSim Labs. "If a compound is toxic in rats but not in our human liver model, that additional evidence can help sponsors better understand whether the finding is truly relevant to patients."
The paired approach is intended to assist pharmaceutical companies in making more informed decisions about whether to advance, modify, or further investigate a drug candidate. It also provides human-relevant context to existing animal toxicology findings.
Rat toxicology remains a widely used method across large pharmaceutical development programs. VivoSim believes the new capability can complement these workflows and extend the commercial utility of its liver toxicology platform.
The Company plans to validate the rat model using compounds with known differences between rat and human liver toxicity. According to Amar Sethi, M.D., Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer of VivoSim Labs, "Differentiating true human risk from rat-specific liver toxicity is a major issue in preclinical development. Our cross-species capability significantly broadens the market utility of our NAMkind™ platform and accelerates our commercial trajectory."
VivoSim anticipates that this addition will strengthen its position in liver toxicology by providing pharmaceutical customers with a more complete interpretation of species differences. This could lead to more efficient drug development processes, potentially saving time and resources.
VivoSim Labs, Inc., based in San Diego, CA, offers testing of drugs and drug candidates in 3D human tissue models of liver and intestine. The company uses NAM models to provide partners with liver and intestinal toxicology insights. VivoSim believes the adoption of NAM methods will accelerate following the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) roadmap to refine animal testing requirements in favor of these non-animal NAM methods.