Discovery Life Sciences^™ (Discovery), Biospecimen and Biomarker Specialists, has acquired Seattle-based ReachBio Research Labs™ (ReachBio®), a company specializing in cell-based assays, predictive hematotoxicity and drug screening services. This acquisition will enable Discovery to scale its consolidated drug discovery and preclinical development offerings to give customers access to a broader range of innovative and specialized cell biology services.

Known as The Cell Biology Experts™, ReachBio was founded in 2007. The company's expertise spans primary cell biology with a particular focus on blood and bone marrow stem cell assays. ReachBio supports its customers' basic research in multiple therapeutic areas. It provides assessments of the immune response and toxicity of novel drug targets in hematologic diseases, cell and gene therapy, immunology, oncology, and immuno-oncology.

Discovery has increased its strategic investments in innovative preclinical development services. The company's acquisition of ReachBio accelerates the continued growth of its cell biology and toxicology services, complementing previous acquisitions of IVAL's Discovery and Corning's Gentest® business unit. ReachBio's expertise in cell biology assay development and interpretation services are widely used to assess the potential toxicity of new drug candidates, enabling customers to make early, informed decisions about the safety and potential efficacy of drug candidates.

The passage of the FDA's Modernization Act 2.0 last year reduced the requirement to perform animal testing, allowing ReachBio's advanced colony-forming predictive assays to ultimately expedite the submission of its customers' investigational new drug applications.

"We are thrilled to welcome ReachBio to the Discovery family," said Discovery CEO Glenn Bilawsky. "ReachBio's expertise in cell-based assays and drug detection positions us favorably to capitalize on recent regulatory changes and continue to meet the rapidly evolving needs of the pharmaceutical industry."

"Joining forces with Discovery is a great opportunity for us," said Emer Clarke, Ph.D., chief scientific officer of ReachBio. "We share Discovery's passion for science and believe that combining our expertise in cell-based assays and drug detection with Discovery's broad multiomics capabilities will enable us to provide a broader, more strategic range of services to pharmaceutical industry customers. Together, we will further accelerate the advancement of drug discovery and development to improve patient outcomes."