Preclinical Oncology Services

Cancer drug development requires scientific rigor, translational insight, and the ability to generate data that supports confident decision-making. Our oncology specialists’ partner with you to design tailored research strategies that evaluate therapeutic activity, characterize mechanisms of action, and generate the evidence needed to support successful clinical translation. Whether developing targeted therapies, immunotherapies, cell therapies, or next-generation biologics, we deliver flexible solutions designed to accelerate development while reducing risk.

Advanced Oncology Models for Translational Research

Selecting the appropriate model is one of the most important factors in oncology drug development. Our preclinical oncology services include a broad range of well-characterized in vitro and in vivo models designed to provide meaningful insights into tumor biology and therapeutic response.

Patient-Derived Xenograft (PDX) Models

PDX models preserve many characteristics of human tumors, including heterogeneity and treatment-response patterns. These platforms help evaluate efficacy in settings that closely mirror clinical disease.

Cell Line-Derived Xenograft (CDX) Models

CDX studies provide reliable and reproducible systems for screening compounds, establishing proof of concept, and investigating mechanisms of action.

Immuno-oncology Studies

Integrated immuno-oncology capabilities help researchers investigate the complex relationship between tumors and immune cells across the discovery continuum.

Humanized Mouse Models

Humanized models support the evaluation of immune-mediated therapies by enabling the study of human immune responses within oncology research programs.

Syngeneic Models

Syngeneic platforms are valuable for investigating interactions between tumors and the immune system, helping researchers assess immunotherapy activity and combination strategies.

Orthotopic Models

Orthotopic implantation approaches create anatomically relevant tumor environments that provide additional insight into disease progression, metastasis, and treatment response.

In Vitro Cancer Assays

PDX cell assays, 3D tumor models, and immune cell co-cultures replicate the complexity of the tumor microenvironment, supporting in vitro efficacy studies and investigation of immune interactions before moving into in vivo models.

Cancer Cachexia

Cachexia models enable the evaluation of the effects of anti-cachexia treatments alone or in combination with cancer treatments.

Graft versus Host Disease (GvHD)

Allograft and xenograft GvHD models support evaluation of novel treatments and investigation of mechanisms of immunoregulation.

Oncology & Chemotherapy Neurotoxicity

In vivo readouts of peripheral, chemotherapy-induced polyneuropathy enable investigation of the neurotoxicity potential of novel oncology therapies.

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Pediatric Cancer Drug Development

Is your oncology drug discovery RACE Act Compliant?

Accelerate pediatric oncology programs with access to more than 200 annotated, well-characterized, FDA RACE Act-compliant pediatric PDX models designed to support confident preclinical decision-making and regulatory readiness.

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Preclinical Oncology Services for CAR-T Cell Therapies

The unique nature of CAR-T Cell therapies for oncology presents therapy-specific challenges in the discovery and development process. Our extensive oncology experience and portfolio of human-centric cell assays, translational models, and cell therapy testing services help you navigate the complex path to the clinic.

In Vitro CAR-T Cell Therapy Testing

Explore our range of CAR-T cell therapy assays designed to assess on-target efficacy, off-target and off-tumor activity, and the risk of insertional mutagenesis.

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In Vivo CAR-T Cell Therapy Testing

Explore translational models for in vivo testing to demonstrate therapeutic activity and safety of your CAR-T cell therapy.

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Biomarkers, Imaging, and Advanced Analytics for Oncology Drug Discovery

The future of oncology development depends on multi-dimensional data that connects biological activity with clinical outcomes.

Our preclinical oncology services incorporate advanced technologies including:

Biomarker Analysis

Identify and validate biomarkers that support target engagement, patient stratification, and translational decision-making.

Flow Cytometry and Immune Profiling

Characterize immune cell populations and treatment responses within complex tumor environments.

Molecular and Genomic Analysis

Generate deeper insights into cancer biology, therapeutic mechanisms, and resistance pathways.

In Vivo Imaging

Monitor tumor growth, treatment response, and biodistribution using advanced imaging technologies that support longitudinal assessment.

Radiation

The administration of radiation as a therapy enables the investigation of combination therapies that reflect clinical therapeutic strategies.

Tumor Microdialysis

Repeated in vivo sampling of the tumor microenvironment enables monitoring of biochemical changes in disease progression and in response to treatments.

Laboratory technicians conducting research

Why Preclinical Oncology Services Matter

Despite significant advances in cancer research, many oncology candidates fail during clinical development due to limited translational predictability and incomplete understanding of tumor biology. Successful preclinical programs require sophisticated models that more accurately reflect human disease, robust biomarker strategies, and data-driven study designs.

Modern preclinical oncology services should help researchers answer critical questions such as:

Is the therapeutic target biologically relevant?
Does the candidate demonstrate meaningful anti-tumor activity?
Is the tumor microenvironment influencing response?
What biomarkers support patient selection?
How does the immune system contribute to efficacy?
What data can strengthen clinical strategy?
By integrating multiple approaches across discovery and translational research, organizations can improve confidence in candidate selection and clinical readiness.

Target Identification and Validation

Establish biological relevance through advanced screening technologies, functional assays, translational biology, and disease-focused research approaches. Early target validation helps prioritize programs with the highest potential for success.

Lead Discovery and Optimization

Evaluate candidate compounds using predictive in vitro and in vivo systems to understand efficacy, selectivity, pharmacology, and mechanism of action. These insights support informed optimization and progression decisions.

Translational Pharmacology

Generate clinically relevant data through integrated biomarker strategies, pharmacodynamic assessments, and translational endpoints that strengthen confidence in development programs.

End-to-End Preclinical Oncology Services

Our comprehensive oncology platform supports every stage of preclinical development.

Built for the Next Generation of Oncology Innovation

As oncology pipelines expand to include precision medicines, immunotherapies, cell therapies, gene therapies, and novel biologics, development programs require increasingly sophisticated preclinical oncology services and strategies. Our integrated approach combines therapeutic expertise, translational science, and predictive data generation to help organizations move from discovery to development with greater confidence.

Our oncology experts are constantly innovating to improve our preclinical oncology services:

Expansion of radiopharmaceutical capabilities to offer fully in-house pipelines from radio-labelling, through in vivo imaging and complex data analysis, combining our extensive expertise in oncology models and nuclear imaging
Continued growth of our industry-leading tumor model database, including pediatric PDX models, to reflect complex tumor biology and patient populations
Establishment of in silico virtual control groups (VCGs) for PDX pharmacology studies to support robust, translatable and data-driven decisions without increasing animal use

What are preclinical oncology services?

Preclinical oncology services support cancer drug development before human clinical trials. These services include target validation, oncology assays, efficacy testing, biomarker development, translational pharmacology, and predictive cancer models that help evaluate therapeutic candidates.

Why are preclinical oncology services important?

Effective preclinical research helps identify promising therapies earlier, reduce development risk, improve translational confidence, and support informed decisions before a candidate enters the clinic.

What oncology models are commonly used in preclinical studies?

Common oncology models include patient-derived xenografts (PDX), cell line-derived xenografts (CDX), syngeneic models, humanized mouse models, orthotopic models, organoids, and tumoroid systems. Each model provides unique insights into therapeutic activity and tumor biology.

What is the role of immuno-oncology in preclinical cancer research?

Immuno-oncology research evaluates therapies that activate or modify the immune system to fight cancer. Preclinical studies help characterize immune responses, assess efficacy, and support the development of checkpoint inhibitors, cell therapies, and other immune-based treatments.

How do PDX models support oncology drug development?

PDX models retain many characteristics of human tumors, helping researchers evaluate how therapies perform in biologically relevant settings while supporting translational decision-making and candidate selection.

What biomarkers are used in oncology preclinical studies?

Biomarkers may be used to measure target engagement, pharmacodynamic response, immune activation, tumor progression, resistance mechanisms, and patient stratification strategies.

How do preclinical oncology services contribute to clinical success?

By combining predictive models, translational biomarkers, advanced analytics, and disease-specific expertise, preclinical oncology services help generate the evidence needed to support clinical trial design and improve development efficiency.