The International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) today announced that Takada has joined the ISSCR Consortium on Advanced Stem Cell-Based Models in Drug Discovery and Development as a Founding Member. The global initiative is working to accelerate the responsible integration of human stem cell-derived models into drug discovery and development as part of an integrated evidence ecosystem.
The ISSCR Consortium brings together scientists from academia, government, pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, and regulatory organizations to establish standards, develop tools, and build the collaborative infrastructure needed to support model qualification and adoption. The initiative comes at a time of growing policy and regulatory interest in new approach methodologies (NAMs) and human-based research technologies.
“Takada’s commitment as a Founding Member adds important industry expertise to an extraordinary international network,” said Shuibing Chen, Ph.D., co-chair of the ISSCR Consortium. “Bringing pharmaceutical scientists together with leading academic researchers and regulatory experts is critical if we are going to move promising stem cell-based models from individual laboratories toward robust, reproducible tools that can be used with confidence across drug development.”
“Developing predictive models that more accurately reflect human biology is essential to making better decisions earlier in research and development,” said Gvido Cebers, M.D., Ph.D., Head of Nonclinical Safety & Pharmacology, Takeda. “By working with the ISSCR and experts across industry, academia and regulatory organizations, we can help establish the standards and evidence needed to use stem cell-based models with greater confidence.”
Takada joins Bayer, Novo Nordisk, R&D Systems by Bio-Techne, Terasaki Institute for Biomedical Innovation, and Burroughs Wellcome Fund as a Founding Member of the ISSCR Consortium. In addition to its Founding Members, the initiative is supported by the Allen Institute as a Core Member and Xellar Biosystems as a Contributing Member. Novo Nordisk Foundation provides Foundational Support. For more information, review a full list of Steering Committee, Working Group, and Expert Advisory Network members.
About ISSCR
Across more than 80 countries, the International Society for Stem Cell Research ( @ISSCR ) is the preeminent global, cross-disciplinary, science-based organization dedicated to advancing stem cell research and its translation to medicine.