Archive

A provision for the application of ‘expert knowledge’ is mentioned within the ICH M7 guideline. However, as (Q)SAR models continue to be updated and their predictive performance and structural coverage improves, this raises the question of whether expert review is still necessary… 

Last year, a revolutionary guideline on Defined Approaches for Skin Sensitisation (OECD GL No.497) was released by the OECD. It is the first ever guideline that recommends the use of a combination of non-animal methods to predict whether a chemical can cause skin allergies. Since the publication of this guideline, Lhasa Limited have developed ‘Skin Sensitisation Defined Approach ITSv1 1.0’ – a web application containing one of the defined approaches published by the OECD, which provides hazard and potency skin sensitisation predictions without the use of animal tests. This tool is a step towards full replacement of animal testing for skin sensitisation and employs the 3Rs principle.

This blog article introduces an insightful publication by Lhasa Principal Scientist, Dr. David Ponting and Dr. Kevin Cross from Instem, which investigates whether improvements in structure-activity relationships can more accurately predict N-nitrosamine carcinogenic potency.

In this article, we discuss how Derek Nexus and Sarah Nexus meet the 5 OECD principles.

A key requirement of ICH M7 is to use two complementary (Q)SAR methodologies, one expert rule-based and the second statistical-based. This blog article recognises the benefits provided when in silico systems are integrated to provide a full ICH M7 assessment in one environment.

Discover how Lhasa Limited can help make mutagenicity assessment a simpler task, in this article!

In this blog piece, we explore how Derek Nexus performs when evaluated against 7 different in silico skin sensitisation models.

Many readers will be aware of the risk posed by nitrosamine impurities, as an ongoing pharmaceutical industry hot topic. In July 2021 ANVISA published their guidance for assessment and control of potentially carcinogenic nitrosamines in active pharmaceutical ingredients and drug products. To discuss this topic, we invited knowledgeable speakers from ANVISA, Industry - GSK and Libbs Farmacêutica - and Lhasa to give their perspectives on this topic. This article details the top 20 take away points from the workshop for quick and easy consumption - enjoy!

Derek Nexus contains alerts which predict the potential toxicity of a compound, this article explains how Lhasa scientists create alerts which are trustworthy and accurate.

The recent discovery of N-nitrosamine (nitrosamine) impurities in several marketed pharmaceuticals has led to a requirement for further investigation into nitrosamine mutagenic and carcinogenic activity. Regulatory requirements mean that marketing authorisation holders for human medicines, containing chemically synthesised active substances, must review their medicines for the possible presence of nitrosamines and test all products at risk. Risk-based approaches to prioritise evaluations and subsequent confirmatory testing may be used. These assessments must be completed by October 2020, generating a significant challenge for the pharmaceutical industry.

Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses which can affect humans or other species and can range anywhere from a mild illness such as the common cold to more severe illnesses such as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).