Simulations Plus, Inc. (NASDAQ: SLP), a leading provider of simulation and modeling software for pharmaceutical discovery and development, announced today that it has signed a multi-year collaboration agreement with Hoffmann La Roche, Inc. (“Roche”) that will provide funding for the equivalent of one full-time scientist for two years to expand the capabilities of its flagship GastroPlus™ software program. The agreement includes close collaboration with Roche scientists to advance the capabilities of GastroPlus in the area of simulating drug-drug interactions.
Dr. Viera Lukacova, the Company’s Simulation Technologies team leader and product manager for GastroPlus, added: “As part of our long-term strategy, we began making changes to GastroPlus to accommodate simulating drug-drug interactions over the past year. This collaboration will accelerate the implementation of what we expect to be the most advanced drug-drug interaction capability in the industry. We’re especially pleased to have Roche scientists involved in this effort, as they have provided invaluable feedback and guidance to the implementation of our PBPK (physiologically based pharmacokinetics) capability in GastroPlus, which was recently ranked number one in accuracy for predicting human pharmacokinetics from preclinical data in a study by another large pharmaceutical company.”
Walt Woltosz, chairman and chief executive officer of Simulations Plus, said: “Roche has been a valued partner with Simulations Plus for many years. This collaboration will provide funding and data to enable us to move GastroPlus to the forefront in the prediction of drug-drug interactions. Simulations Plus will also contribute to this effort from our in-house R&D funds. Drug-drug interactions are one of the most critical aspects of bringing new drugs to market. Many patients take a number of drugs at the same time, and pharmaceutical companies want to avoid adverse effects that can result when one drug interferes with how another drug works in the body. This new capability will give Roche scientists the ability to anticipate the types and degree of interactions likely with potential new drugs, and it will become a new module within GastroPlus that will be available to all GastroPlus users. We commend Roche for its spirit of ‘cooperation where possible’ with the industry as a whole, as evidenced by their contributions toward the PBPK capability in GastroPlus, which is now available to the industry.”