At QIMA Life Sciences, we provide a wide range of oncology-focused solutions to support drug discovery and development. From program planning and primary screening through to mechanistic in vitro assays and advanced in vivo oncology models (in partnership with our partner Axis Bio), we deliver reliable and scientifically robust studies to accelerate your program.
Our preclinical oncology studies can be integrated with biomarkers, analytical chemistry, and bioanalytical services to maximise translational success. Our Phase I to IV clinical trial capabilities make navigating the drug development pipeline seamless, and our global teams offer technical and regulatory expertise from early discovery to post-market.
Companion Oncology Services: From Target Discovery to Late-Stage Clinical Support
We use a global, multidisciplinary service suite to enrich cancer discovery programmes at every stage. From the very start of a pipeline, we offer:
- Chemoinformatic screening platforms for target and biomarker discovery
- Complete analytical and bioanalytical services for full chemistry support
- A range of in vitro and ex vivo models to facilitate hit-to-lead & high-throughput lead-optimisation screens
These services echo through our oncology studies, enabling biomarker-driven drug development and pharmacological profiling that streamline decision making and reduce risk – all delivered to the exacting quality standards of QIMA Life Sciences.
In vitro Oncology & Immuno-Oncology Platforms
QIMA Life Sciences delivers research solutions that are tailored to the needs of our clients, the mechanisms-of-action of their treatments, and to the therapeutic modality. Leveraging deep expertise in immunology, immuno-oncology, and translational oncology, we conduct pre-clinical and IND-enabling oncology studies via the purpose-built, 900+ m2 Axis Bio facility. Our cell-based assays are built on decades of research and have evolved with the landscape of cancer treatment, and we excel at customising and linking our platforms to provide optimal study designs.
Curated cancer cell line portfolio
Our oncology capabilities cover all major cancer types, from solid tumours (breast, colorectal, glioblastoma, lung, liver, bladder, prostate, head and neck, pancreatic, melanoma) to hematologic malignancies (leukemia, lymphoma) and we maintain a panel of supplementary non-cancer cell lines for mechanistic and safety assays.
| CANCER TYPE | CELL LINES (HUMAN AND MURINE) |
|---|---|
| Bladder | J82, RT4, UM-UC-6, MB49 |
| Brain | KELLY, U-251 MG U-87 MG, GL-261 |
| Breast | JIMT-1, MCF-7, MDA-MB-231, SK-BR-3 T47-D, 4T1 |
| Colorectal | DLD-1, HCT 116, HT-29, SNU1411, SW620, MC38 |
| Gastric | GCIY, MKN-1, NCI-N87, NUGC4 |
| Hepatic | HepG2, Hepa 1,6 |
| Leukaemia | HL-60, HNT34, Jurkat, K-562, MOLM-13 |
| Lung | A549, NCI-H1975, NCI-H69, PC-9, LLC |
| Lymphoma | OCI-LY3, Raji, Ramos, TMD8, EG7.OVA |
| Myeloma | KMS-12-BM, MM.1 S, NCI-H929 |
| Ovarian | A2780, IGROV-1 OVCAR-3, SKOV-3, ID-8 |
| Pancreatic | AsPC-1, BxPC3, Capan-1 MIA PaCa-2, PANC-1, Pan02 |
| Prostate | 22RV1, C4-2, DU145, LNCaP, PC3, VCaP, TRAMP-C1 |
| Renal | 786-0, A498, ACHN, Renca |
| Sarcoma | HT-1080, Saos-2, U-2 OS, MCA-205 |
Above cell lines represent some of our most common translational oncology models, list is non-exhaustive, and a rare cancer xenograft validation programme is also ongoing. Contact us for any cell-line or disease-specific enquiries.
In addition to our portfolio of more than 150 well-characterised lines, we support the validation of client-specified cell lines for both in vitro and xenograft models (flank or orthotopic sites), expanding the scope of tumor models available for oncology research.
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Cytotoxicity, Proliferation & Cell Health Assays
Our in vitro oncology platforms provide anti-tumoural efficacy testing and safety profiling at the level of throughput and depth your programme demands. Assay options are available in 2D and 3D formats, and can pair with functional readouts and immunogenicity and safety profiling to enrich data outputs.
Screening approaches include:
- MTT/MTS/XTT assays
- LDH release
- ATP-based assays
- Bioluminescence readouts
- High content counting and microscopy
- [3H]-Thymidine incorporation
- BrdU incorporation
For more translational depth we offer:
- Combination cell health readouts
- Spheroid and soft agar cultures
- Clonogenic assays
- Co-culture models
- Flow cytometry solutions (e.g. apoptosis assays)
- Immunohistochemistry solutions (e.g. Ki-67 staining)
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oncology-related assays
Functional Molecular and Phenotypic Readouts
A comprehensive catalogue of molecular and cellular biology techniques enhances our preclinical tests, from in vitro functional screens to in vivo biomarker identification, validation, and tracking. Choose a clinically translatable, ready-to-run assay from our library, or collaborate with our scientists to develop bespoke workflows for your specific oncology modality.
Nucleic acid solutions
• PCR and qPCR
• siRNA knockdown
• CRISPR/Cas knockout
• -omics services
• Gene expression profiling
• DNA damage assay
Protein analytics
• Western blotting
• ELISAs and activity assays
• ELISpot
• Multiplex assay panels
• Sequential immunofluorescence staining
• Surface and intracellular flow cytometry staining
• -omics services
Functional phenotypic readouts
• Tumour motility and invasion
• Tumour migration
• Cell differentiation assays
• Endocytosis and uptake assays
• Barrier permeability models
• Tube formation
Immuno-Oncology Readouts and Safety Profiling
Understanding the interaction between treatments, tumours, and immune cells is critical for oncology drug discovery. QIMA Life Sciences provide assays for testing the innate and adaptive immune responses to treatments in blood and tissues, and for investigating tumour-immune interactions in co-culture systems.
Immune cells:
- Neutrophils, basophils, eosinophils
- Monocytes, macrophages, dendritic cells
- T cells and regulatory T cells
Assays:
- PMN, Macrophage, Dendritic Cell activation
- Immune-mediated tumour kill assays
- Phagocytosis
- PMN oxidative burst
- M1 or M2 polarization and switch
- Chemotaxis and invasion
- T cell immunophenotyping
- Proliferation
- Cytokine and chemokine release
Immunocytes can be freshly drawn from volunteers, or sourced from biobanks and our assays can be expanded with various additional functional readouts.
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Immune Response Assays
Comprehensive in vivo Oncology Models & Translational Pharmacology
Through partnership with Axis Bio, we tailor preclinical study packages to exact programme needs, with flexible designs to integrate safety, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and efficacy evaluations with our wider companion services. These studies can be run as modular go/no-go stages or as overlapping fast-track workflows, and are supported by expert guidance on IND-enabling studies and the transition between bench and living models.
Cell-Derived Xenograft Models: Flank, Orthotopic, and Disseminated Tumours
More than 80 cell line–derived xenograft (CDX) models—each validated against current standards of care—are immediately available. Built on over a decade of expertise in mouse-tumour modelling, our portfolio covers all major cancer indications through functionally characterised CDX panels. Subcutaneous flank, orthotopic and metastatic configurations let you investigate tumour biology in clinically relevant scenarios.
Solid tumour implants
- Subcutaneous flank
- Mammary fat pad
- Ovary
- Pancreas
- Brain
- Prostate
- Lung
- Liver
- Colon
- Bladder
- Tibia-femur
Disseminated CDX models
- Intracardiac
- Intravenous
Syngeneic and PBMC-humanised Mouse Models
Two complementary in vivo platforms are available for immune oncology programme, in subcutaneous, orthotopic and metastatic formats.
First, an extensive panel of syngeneic models – more than 25 murine tumour lines spanning melanoma, breast, lung, colon, lymphoma, head and neck, sarcoma and more – enables rapid assessment of drug activity in the context of a fully functional mouse immune system.
Second, our PBMC-humanised NXG models deliver rapid, stable engraftment of donor peripheral blood mononuclear cells, recreating human T-cell biology for antibodies, bispecifics, CAR-T therapies and other human-specific modalities.
Patient-Derived Xenograft (PDX) Models
Expanding access to patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models allows native tumour architecture and heterogeneity to be retained. Combined with proven expertise in serially passaging difficult to grow tumours from mouse to mouse, this delivers a high-fidelity predictive system for evaluating oncology, drug combinations, and resistance mechanisms across every major cancer type.
PK/PD, Toxicology & Biomarker-Driven Efficacy Read-outs
By integrating our full technical expertise with in vivo platforms, a complete view of exposure, mechanism and safety can be captured. The scope of projects can range from simple tumour inhibition studies to advanced immuno-oncology models that pair PK/PD profiling, risk assessment and biomarker analytics and more in parallel.
Basic model deliverables
- General clinical observations
- Bodyweight measurements
- Subsidence monitoring
- Necropsy macro-examination
- Tumour burden (volume or bioluminescence)
- Blood and tissue sampling
- Survival analyses
Integrated analytics
- Quantitative bioanalysis
- Whole body in vivo imaging
- Multiplex immunohistochemistry
- Digital histopathology
- Veterinary haematology
- Clinical chemistry and organ toxicity panels
- Flow cytometry immunophenotyping
- Multiplex immunogenicity and cytokine release assays
- Targeted genomic and transcriptomic profiling
- Metabolomics and lipidomics
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oncology solutions
Configurable Study Designs & Modality-Specific Solutions
Whether it’s a rapid PK/PD snapshot or a full IND-enabling package, our study designs can be configured to match your programme’s goals. We support the full spectrum of oncology drugs, from classic small molecule inhibitors to cutting-edge biologics, with modality-specific approaches and endpoints.
Study types
- Disease-specific efficacy models
- Pharmacokinetic/Pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) profiling
- ADME characterisation
- Biodistribution and imaging
- Safety and toxicology studies
- Translational biomarker and bioanalytical support
Modalities supported
- Small-molecule agents
- Antibody-based biologics
- Cell-based immunotherapies
- Gene- & virus-mediated therapies
- Nucleic-acid–based drugs & synthetic immunomodulators
- Bioactive peptides & nano-conjugates
Full Cycle Oncology Clinical Trial Capabilities
Our support does not stop at high-content in vitro assays or translational in vivo disease models; we stay on board to help candidates progress into the clinic. We provide end-to-end, GCP-compliant clinical-development and QC services for the oncology sector, while our bioanalytical and biomarker analyses transition seamlessly from preclinical proof-of-concepts to first-in-human trials and beyond.
Purpose-built Phase I–IV clinical facilities and seasoned trial-management teams.
Complete bioanalytical and analytical chemistry integration supporting clinical trials.
Specialist ex vivo models for assessing oncotherapy side-effects and sub-clinical injuries.
Partner with QIMA Life Sciences
With the integration of Axis Bio’s oncology expertise, QIMA Life Sciences offers a unique continuum of services spanning from cell-based assays and tumor microenvironment models to translational in vivo oncology studies.
Whether you are working on small molecules, biologics, or advanced modalities, our comprehensive solutions help you generate robust, decision-driving data across the entire oncology R&D pipeline.
Contact us today to learn how our oncology assays and models can accelerate your drug discovery and development programs.
