As a function of our medical research capabilities, MRIGlobal offers development and testing for vaccines and therapeutics against chemical and infectious disease threats. We can provide therapeutics testing and development for anyone from a small commercial client in need of a lot of guidance to government agencies already well-versed in established practices.
Headquartered in Kansas City, MRIGlobal is a not-for-profit contract research organization specializing in human health, pharmaceutical sciences, in-vitro diagnostics, defense, energy, agriculture, and global health. Our solution-driven teams are dedicated to finding answers that will make the country and world safer for all.
A major way we are able to do that is through therapeutics testing and development services.
Protecting against chemical and infectious agents
There is no shortage of reasons we need to protect against chemical and infectious agents. Potentially dangerous agents can be weaponized for use against soldiers or even civilians in domestic settings. Threats from dangerous chemical and infectious agents aren’t limited to malice; accidents can be just as devastating to public safety.
Industrial accidents can lead to mass exposure to dangerous chemicals, too. Even if one person is potentially exposed to something dangerous, countermeasures are vitally important.
To us, that means developing models to screen therapeutics to see if they will help mitigate the toxic effects of those dangerous agents. First, we show the way the agent of interest is causing damage, and then we show how to repair or prevent that damage with the therapeutic or vaccine.
Driving the science
When you choose to partner with MRIGlobal for screening and testing of vaccines and therapeutics, you get the benefit of our extensive selection of models by which to test therapeutics. Just as important is our ability to be flexible and determine new approaches of driving these studies scientifically.
Not all of the countermeasures or therapeutics that we screen will pass. Some companies may accept that result with nothing more than a write-up of the fact that the therapeutic did not work as planned in the original testing model. We choose to dig a little deeper and we can suggest what may have worked to help the countermeasure pass the screening.
For example, maybe the challenge agent was helped by the therapeutic for 24 hours and then it stopped being effective. This scenario would likely prompt us to suggest a second dose. Our scientists and technicians will be looking into the intricacies of the results and the tests to see what works best.
Another example is that sometimes the initial dose is just too high. Finding the right dose is an important part of any medicinal application. As they say, the dose makes the toxin. At MRIGlobal we have scientists with rich toxicology backgrounds who are working on these projects and lending their expertise.
Consulting for development and testing of vaccines and therapeutics
Sometimes clients come to us knowing exactly what they need for their development and/or testing of their vaccine or therapeutic. They may request a specific model run with a certain dosage and whatever other parameters they have already determined.
However, not every company has the budget for that kind of oversight and study design in-house. For those clients, MRIGlobal offers guidance and insight into what is and what is not working, or if something needs reassessed in their presumptive models.
Designing studies to test therapeutics and vaccines
When determining the studies and screenings different potential vaccines and therapeutics need to go through to properly vet their effectiveness and safety, there is a huge amount of context to consider. A big part of our job in designing these studies is to ask questions.
For example, a client could come to us with a therapeutic that they want to test in a sulfur mustard model. We have the models in place to drive down on whether they should test through ocular, skin, or inhalation.
The ever-evolving science of therapeutics
There are many exciting things about working with therapeutics and vaccines. One of those is when something that has already been found safe and effective in one application is found to be useful in other contexts. In this field, things are repurposed often. This is a great way to save time and money while still ensuring a viable, safe, and effective product. These are the types of questions and the level of context that our experts are bringing to therapeutics testing and development.
See the application of your work with therapeutics testing and development
The field of testing and developing vaccines and therapeutics for use against chemical and infectious disease threat agents is for scientists who long to see the application and real world impact of their work. Whereas some scientists live for the thrill of discovering new useful molecules that will come to fruition in a few decades, others are driven by a faster impact.
“Many people may not realize industries like ours exist,” says Dr. Poojya Anantharam, Capabilities Manager at MRIGlobal. “Often, students with a scientific leaning find themselves thinking they could never be satisfied pursuing a career based in theory rather than application. And while it’s true that the work we accomplish at MRIGlobal is rarely found in other companies, big-picture scientific research and application careers do exist.”
Working in vaccine and therapeutic testing is a rewarding, fast-paced, and exciting career path. At MRIGlobal in particular, we value teamwork and open communication between departments as well as with our clients. The people here are excited about their work because it’s unique and important.
The science will keep you engaged, and the supportive team will continually build you up to be your best self. We are always looking to add talented, passionate scientists to join our team and serve clients with their therapeutic testing and development.
Getting started with MRIGlobal and Therapeutics Testing and Development
Contact MRIGlobal and get started with therapeutics testing and development today. Whether you are screening a vaccine, inoculation, or chemical therapeutic, we have the team and experience to get you where you want to go.
As a not-for-profit contract research organization, we have proven ourselves as an objective partner, driven to make our clients’ products more successful. We specialize in defense, human health, pharmaceutical sciences, in-vitro diagnostics, energy and environment, agriculture, and global health.
To learn more about the work we’ve done or how we can help you, contact us today. If you are part of an agency, business, or academic institution seeking assistance with a project, use our Project Quote Tool to get started.
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