22 June, 2023
UTOX acquisition (Preclinical Studies)
THE UNIVERSITY OF BARCELONA PROMOTES INNOVATION AND TRANSFER AND ACQUIRES THE EXPERIMENTAL TOXICOLOGY PLATFORM UTOX OF THE BARCELONA SCIENCE PARK
Creatio, a production and validation centre of advanced therapies of the University of Barcelona, through the Bosch i Gimpera Foundation, has acquired UTOX, the experimental toxicology platform of the Barcelona Science Park (PCB).
The aim of this acquisition is for UTOX to integrate into the technology development centre, Creatio, leader in advanced therapies and member of the TECNIO network.
Thus, from 1 July, Creatio will expand its portfolio of services offering pre-clinical studies through the incorporation of the experimental toxicology platform in the PCB. This acquisition will enable Creatio to offer support and services throughout the chain of development of medicines, from the basic research to production of advanced therapy medicines.
The pre-clinical toxicology studies allow the assessment of possible adverse side effects of new medicines and/or other external agents such as chemical products, analysing how they interact with the body. These studies enable the optimal dose, frequency of administration and side effects, among others, to be determined as a necessary step for their future application.
Josep M. Canals, Director of Creatio and Professor of the Biomedicine Department of the University of Barcelona, has expressed his satisfaction with this strategic acquisition. “Thanks to the acquisition of the experimental toxicology platform of the PCB, Creatio now contributes to the entire chain of development of medicines incorporating toxicology studies that are fundamental for patients’ safety”. “We are committed to offering high quality results to the whole ecosystem to guarantee the trust and effectiveness of these innovative therapies”, Canals has affirmed.
Maria Terrades, CEO of the Parc Científic de Barcelona (PCB), has emphasised the importance of the offer strengthening the technical scientific offer provided by the Park. “It has been crucial that Creatio decided to keep the physical laboratory at the PCB”, stated Terrades. “This will allow Creatio to be near the companies and entities of the PCB community, strengthening our community and promoting collaboration and transfer of knowledge between the public and private sector.”
Creatio is a translational research centre with the TECNIO seal as a technology development centre. With the incorporation of the experimental toxicology platform, Creatio will become one of the most relevant TECNIO centres in the biomedical field. With this expansion, Creation hopes to be a key member in the public and private ecosystem of Catalonia and Spain.