Michelle Hallam

RenaSci

RenaSci provides an integrated blend of consultancy and preclinical experimental services to the pharmaceutical industry. Our clients include pharma, biotech, virtual companies and healthcare investors worldwide. We specialise in abuse and dependence testing and in the therapeutic areas of CNS and metabolic disorders. Consultancy is provided on all aspects of drug discovery, preclinical and clinical development, regulatory approval, intellectual property protection and market positioning. We have facilitated more than 30 candidates into clinical development and 10 drugs to the market. RenaSci is the leading preclinical service provider for abuse/dependence testing. We offer all of the mandatory procedures required for regulatory approval: intravenous self-administration, drug discrimination and tolerance/dependence studies. We can also evaluate novel treatments for drug dependence. We are GLP-accredited. Our studies are accepted by the FDA and EMA and have supported many recent US and European drug approvals. We employ a wide range of techniques to determine the mode of action, efficacy and side-effect profile of centrally-acting drugs including: ex vivo receptor binding, intracerebral microdialysis and behavioural models such as conditioned avoidance responding, prepulse inhibition of acoustic startle, reversal of psychostimulant-induced hyperactivity, catalepsy testing, antipsychotic-induced weight gain and a model of binge-eating disorder. We have established a number of models of obesity, diabetes and related conditions. These include DIO mice and rats, the STZ/high-fat diet model of diabetes, dietary-induced NASH and models to assess diabetic complications and chronic kidney disease. Studies can include measurement of body weight, food and water intake, glycaemic control, body composition, metabolic rate, a variety of parameters in blood, plasma and urine, liver lipids and histopathology. For further information please see our website.