Parasites are big threats to both livestock and pets. If left untreated, these organisms can proliferate rapidly and cause a variety of health problems including anemia, rapid weight loss and even death.
Effective antiparasitic drugs do exist, but parasites are becoming increasingly resistant to them due in particular to patchy compliance with treatment protocols. Scientists are therefore working hard to develop new treatments.
In Saint Blaise (canton of Neuchâtel), INVENesis has unveiled a new system that can speed the development of antiparasitic drugs.
The biotech has teamed up with INRAE and CSEM to develop its device, which allows scientists to rapidly and accurately test the efficacy of different compounds directly on roundworms.
The system employs technology from INRAE that was initially intended for university research. It’s the result of three years of joint research and development funded in part by the canton of Neuchâtel’s economic development agency and Innosuisse.
An invention that stands to conquer the global market
Founded by former employees of Novartis, INVENesis has already secured major contracts for its invention with key players in the animal health industry.
More precise and efficient, the new system offers a unique approach to screening drug candidates, based on a highly selective design process that brings the results of in vitro experiments much closer to those of in vivo ones – marking a major step forward from existing procedures.
Today, INVENesis employs around a dozen people, has a subsidiary in France, and an international customer base that ranges from start-ups to multinationals and research institutes. The start-up’s new system is now mature and stands to be a flagship product that will conquer the global animal health market.
