What Axis Bio Help You Achieve
Whether the goal is a peer-reviewed publication, a Series A data package, or a regulatory filing, the team designs your study around your objective, not a standard menu.
Publication-ready in vitro and in vivo data
Robust experimental design, statistically valid datasets, and publication-quality figures to support manuscript submission or conference presentation.
Non-GLP lead discovery and development
Rapid screening and iterative candidate profiling to identify and prioritise your most promising compounds, without the overhead of GLP compliance at exploratory stages.
Early treatment safety profiling
Non-GLP tolerability studies and initial PK/PD work to de-risk your programme before committing to formal toxicology spend.
Regulatory-supporting data packages
Structured preclinical datasets meeting the evidentiary standards expected at IND or CTA submission; clearly documented, scientifically robust, and ready for your regulatory affairs team.
Investor and fundraising evidence
For startups and spinouts navigating fundraising, Axis Bio structures data packages and reports to speak directly stakeholders. Study scoping and payment milestones can be aligned with your financing calendar.
Who We Support
- Large pharma
- Established pharma and biotech
- Biotech startups and spinouts
- Academic spinouts
- Pure academia
Why Work With Axis Bio?
Scientific depth, not just capacity: Studies are designed by scientists who understand the biology; therapeutic area expertise spans oncology, immunology, inflammation, and respiratory disease. The team combines academic-grade mechanistic rigour with commercial delivery standards.
Speed without compromise: Lean team structure and a single site mean fewer handoffs, faster decisions, and studies that start on the agreed date.
Flexibility built into every engagement: Studies are scoped to your stage, your budget, and your timeline. The team has particular experience supporting clients at critical inflection points: pre-IND meetings, investor due diligence, grant renewals, and licensing discussions.
Therapeutic Areas and Core Services
Focus areas:
- Oncology
- Immuno-inflammation
- Respiratory
- Dermatology (in progress)
In vitro and ex vivo:
Cell viability and proliferation assays (e.g. MTS, MTT, clonogenic); mechanism-of-action assays (e.g. FACS-based cell cycle, cytokine multiplex, qPCR); blood and tissue assays; FACS immunophenotyping with flexible panel design; ADA development; BALF analysis.
In vivo oncology:
Validated CDX xenograft models across 17 cancer types; luciferase-expressing cell lines for orthotopic and disseminated tumour imaging; syngeneic immuno-oncology models; PBMC-humanised animal models. Client-specified cell lines and PDX models can be validated. See more here.
In vivo Inflammation:
Acute and chronic disease models in mices; cytokine multiplex and cell differential readouts. See more here.
General pharmacology:
PK/PD studies across diverse dosing routes; non-GLP tolerability studies; blood chemistry and haematology; biodistribution studies including bioluminescent and fluorescent imaging. See more here.
Histology:
Tissue embedding, sectioning, digital scanning, proprietary digital image analysis and scoring.
How the Process Works
From first contact to final report, with all requisites met (documents signed, compound provided, queries answered promptly):
| 1 | Request received – online or direct contact | Day 0
| 2 | Initial call with CSO | Within 1-2 weeks
| 3 | CDA and SPA signed | As required (typically within days of initial call)
| 4 | Proposal issued | 1–2 weeks from initial call
| 5 | Project scoping call with study director | As required (optional)
| 6 | Protocol development with Study Director | Iterative
| 7 | Active study commences | Within 3-4 weeks of first contact
| 8 | Final report issued | Within 2 weeks of study completion
Efficacy studies have been designed, executed, and reported within 10–12 weeks of initial contact, though timelines are model- and dosing-window dependent. The payment structure is typically 50% at study initiation, 50% on completion. Milestone structures can be adapted to reflect your funding calendar, this can be discussed at the initial call.
Complete terms and conditions for projects with Axis Bio can be found here.
Regulatory and Animal Welfare Standards
All in vivo work at Axis Bio (a QIMA Life Sciences Company) is conducted under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (ASPA). The facility holds a Home Office Establishment Licence (PEL) subject to regular inspection by the Home Office Animals in Science Regulation Unit (ASRU).
All programmes are conducted under named Project Licences (PPLs) held by senior scientists; every individual performing regulated procedures holds a Personal Licence (PIL) following accredited training. An independent Animal Welfare and Ethical Review Body (AWERB) provides ongoing scrutiny across all active studies.
The team is fully committed to the 3Rs framework and the extensive in vitro and ex vivo portfolio reflects a deliberate commitment to non-animal methods before escalating to in vivo work.
Client Testimonials
“Axis Bio is far more than a CRO: they are a true extension of our R&D team. They brought incredible scientific rigor and agility to our challenging humanized oncology models, delivering critical CDX study data on a budget when we needed it most. Their leadership’s hands-on involvement is rare and invaluable. Having worked with over 10 in vivo CROs, Axis Bio is hands-down one of the best partners.”
Aude Segaliny PhD, VP of R&D, Amberstone Biosciences Inc.
“As a small biotech company, it is critical for us to work with a CRO that is both flexible and has extensive expertise. Axis Bio has consistently gone above and beyond to fill that niche for us. Thanks to their highly collaborative nature, we have generated robust results that have been instrumental in securing investors and attracting high-profile scientific advisors.”
Adam Grant PhD, Principal Scientist, CancerVax
“Axis Bio has been a vital part of our cancer research for the past several years… the research output we have achieved with them has opened the door to more funding. I am also very grateful for them to take on small-scale work from academic labs like mine.”
Mohammad Asim PhD, Head of Molecular Oncotherapeutics Laboratory, University of Surrey
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQS)
How do we choose the right study model and design for our programme?
Study design is developed collaboratively between the client, our CSO, and the Study Director, using three inputs: the test article, its mechanism of action, and the specific evidentiary goal.
CDX xenograft models (immunocompromised hosts) suit cytotoxic or targeted agents where immune interference should be eliminated. PDX models offer greater translational fidelity where patient-derived tumour heterogeneity is relevant. Syngeneic models are the first choice for immuno-oncology agents requiring an intact immune response. Humanised mouse models extend this to a human immune context.
Cost, timeline, and resource constraints are addressed openly at the scoping call, not after the proposal.
What if my study needs go beyond the services shown here?
Can Axis Bio run studies using our own proprietary or novel cell lines?
Yes. Where a client’s programme requires a cell line not in the existing validated portfolio, the team can establish and validate growth curves, assess in vitro and in vivo behaviour, and confirm suitability for the planned study design. Client cell lines are handled under the terms of the Study Participation Agreement and CDA; IP ownership of proprietary lines remains with the client.
What species and strains are available for rodent studies?
The team works with any strain of mouse or rat, selected based on study requirements; typically using immunocompromised strains (e.g. nude, SCID, NSG) for CDX and humanised models, immunocompetent strains (e.g. C57BL/6, BALB/c) for syngeneic and inflammation work. Strain and sex ratios, group sizes, and dosing durations are determined during initial scoping with the CSO and protocol development with the Study Director.
Do you offer post in-life analytics for studies, or do we need to provide that ourselves?
Both options are available. Axis Bio (and QIMA Life Sciences at large) can perform endpoint analyses on site, and have deep expertise in maximising the value from an in vivo study. For clients who prefer to handle the post-in life phase themselves, the team conducts the in-life phase and ships samples under agreed conditions. Samples can also be directly shipped to third parties. The preferred arrangement is confirmed at the proposal stage.
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