Viva Biotech Launches Comprehensive Pharmacology Platform for Drug Discovery

On December 29, 2025, Viva Biotech unveiled its innovative integrated pharmacology platform designed to enhance drug pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics (PKPD) across various therapeutic modalities. This new platform aims to address the expanding needs of drug discovery, supporting programs from in vitro ADME assays through to in vivo pharmacokinetics (PK) and efficacy studies.

Expanding the Frontiers of Drug Discovery

The latest session of the Viva BioInsights webinar series, titled “Adventures in DMPK,” featured Dr. Justin Cui, Vice President of Pharmacology at Viva Biotech. During the presentation, Dr. Cui highlighted the commonalities in ADME/PK logic for small molecules, PROTACs, and peptides, emphasizing the importance of physicochemical profiling and metabolic stability. This includes assessments using microsomes, hepatocytes, and various transport models such as MDCK and Caco-2.

Dr. Cui explained that the differentiating factor in their approach is not merely a checklist of procedures, but rather the decision frameworks applied to manage large program volumes. Metrics such as area under the curve (AUC) and half-life are pivotal in supporting early compound triage and deprioritization when profiles do not meet internal thresholds.

Innovative Solutions for Diverse Modalities

For peptide programs, Viva Biotech employs cross-species PK design, utilizing multiple administration routes like subcutaneous (SC), intravenous (IV), and intramuscular (IM). Additionally, comprehensive metabolite profiling is conducted through various biological matrices, including plasma, urine, bile, feces, and tissues. The consistent use of WinNonlin-based analysis across different modalities facilitates comparative evaluation of PK behaviors.

Building on this foundation, Viva Biotech applies specialized strategies to antibody programs, where the biology of the neonatal Fc receptor (FcRn) plays a crucial role in pharmacokinetic behavior. A significant technical advancement showcased was their engineered hFcRn/B2M–MDCK Transwell system, designed to measure FcRn-mediated transport and facilitate time- and dose-dependent transcytosis assessments.

The system has proven to be both cost- and time-efficient for in vitro PK screening, enabling the evaluation of Fc-engineering variants and Fc fusion proteins. Notably, data presented during the webinar indicated a strong correlation (Pearson r > 0.84) between cell-based transcytosis readouts and established clinical antibody half-life data, underscoring its effectiveness for early candidate ranking.

Beyond pharmacokinetics, the webinar also underscored the importance of integrating mechanistic bioassays with DMPK decisions. Viva Biotech’s immunology portfolio encompasses various in vitro assays for immune-cell activation, differentiation, and signaling, employing technologies such as multi-color flow cytometry and multiplex cytokine readouts.

In vivo capabilities include tumor efficacy assessments across syngeneic and CDX models, complemented by ex vivo analyses that support tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) evaluations and pharmacodynamic biomarker assessments. This holistic approach allows for a comprehensive evaluation of drug exposure, target engagement, and functional outcomes in disease-relevant contexts.

With over a decade of experience in early drug discovery, Viva Biotech has significantly enhanced its DMPK, pharmacology, and efficacy capabilities through facility expansions and deeper integration of antibody PK studies across various therapeutic areas, including oncology, autoimmune diseases, and metabolic disorders. As Dr. Cui articulated, Viva Biotech has established a robust DMPK platform that encompasses multiple drug modalities, streamlined within a one-stop service model that connects structure-based discovery with ADME, pharmacokinetics, pharmacology, toxicology, and IND filing.

This comprehensive approach supports more confident and data-driven development decisions throughout the preclinical stage. For more details about Viva Biotech’s Pharmacology and DMPK services, please visit their website at https://www.vivabiotech.com/cro/pharmacologydmpk.