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Cardiac proarrhythmic risk assessment using human-induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes

Watch this on-demand webinar that discusses the two assays developed by Eurofins and why they represent a more physiologic and dynamic system to provide a more comprehensive pre-clinical model for cardiac liability assessment.

About this webinar

For the past two decades, in vitro human Ether-a-go-go Related Gene (hERG) channel assays and in vivo QT interval measurements have been used to assess proarrhythmic risk during drug development. While this approach has been effective in preventing drugs with cardiac liabilities from reaching the market, it has become evident that some cardiac safe drugs also inhibit the hERG channel or cause QT prolongation. Thus, there is a need for improved accuracy of proarrhythmic risk assessment by reducing the focus on in vitro hERG channel assays and in vivo QT interval measurements.

The Comprehensive in vitro Proarrhythmia Assay (CiPA) initiative is an effort to accomplish this goal by facilitating the adoption of new paradigms for assessment of the clinical risk of Torsades de Pointes (TdP). This novel approach includes the use of adult human-induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs) to assess for potential cardiac liabilities of compounds in varying stages of drug discovery. hiPSC-CMs express ion channels that underlie action potentials and exhibit typical electrophysiological and mechanical characteristics of native human cardiomyocytes.

Following CiPA guidelines, Eurofins has developed two assays (the Multi-Electrode Array (MEA) assay and the Calcium Transient FLIPR assay) using hiPSC-CMs. In this on-demand webinar, we focus on an in-depth discussion involving these assays, with a focus on the Calcium Transient FLIPR assay. We show example results and explain why these assays represent a more physiologic and dynamic system to provide a more comprehensive pre-clinical model for cardiac liability assessment.

Learning outcomes of this webinar

  • Understand the need for a novel approach to assess proarrhythmic risk during drug development
  • Learn how the cardiac safety portfolio of Eurofins helps clients address the focus points of the CiPA initiative
  • Hear example results and case studies on why the cardiomyocyte assays offered by Eurofins represent a more comprehensive pre-clinical model for cardiac liability assessment
  • Ask our expert speaker questions and benefit from their knowledge and guidance.

Our speaker

Dr Verena AlbertVerena Albert, PhD, Scientist III, Eurofins Discovery, San Diego CA

Dr Verena Albert is the scientific lead of the Cardiac Safety Services at Eurofins Discovery in San Diego, responsible for developing and conducting cardiac safety screening assays using hiPSC-CMs. Verena holds a PhD in Cell Biology from University of Basel, Switzerland, and has extensive experience with primary cells, assay development and molecular biology. Verena has published several research and review articles in peer-reviewed scientific journals.