About us
One of the greatest challenges in pharmaceutical research and in drug development in particular is the detection of various side effects of both new and already existing drugs and medications. In general, neurological or psychiatric side effects are usually characterized by specific motility patterns or altered forms of movement. The process of detection is usually conducted with the use of experimental animals such as rats, although current methods are not always sensitive enough to detect serious side effects with mild symptoms.
Our product, Rodentech is a data analytics system, consisting of an implantable device and the related software analytics tool for observing and analysing the behavioural data of experimental animals in the preclinical phase of drug development. It makes modern drug development simpler, more accurate, faster, and cost effective.
The Rodentech solution offers an accurate monitoring and measurement system, with reduced size implants, 24-hours, continuous monitoring, implementation and monitoring without human supervision. With these integrated and novel features, the Rodentech ensures a highly cost-effective solution for drug developing companies for the first time.
Product uniqueness
Continuous operation
Since the implant is powered by wireless radio frequency it is possible to monitor the experimental animals constantly and during their life spans which is one of the most essential parts of preclinical studies where psychological and neurological side effects of certain drug candidates are to be analysed. Most of the technologies available nowadays are capable of operating only for limited periods of time without the need for recharge, thus making them less effective and more complicated to handle during the experiments.
Absence of human observer
The automatization of the system allows Rodentech to the eliminate the human observer from the process of experiments. During animal tests, the human factor can alter or modify the tests results by unintendedly affecting the experimental animals. The different influences such as the sight, scent, movement of a person conducting the experiment can generate ambiguous or unnecessary neurological or behavioural reactions which creates false results. Moreover, the human observers are unable to detect those fine movements which can indicate particular effects of the drug tested while our system can operate without any human interference.
More accurate procedures:
For the reason that our system operates in an entirely automatic and continuous way, it is possible to carry out more accurate and efficacious tests. The implants will be able to measure different parameters of behaviour of the experimental animals which allows us to define the side effects of drug candidates more precisely and with a low percentage of errors. Compared to currently used technologies, Rodentech system will be equipped with hardware and software units which are more sensitive to finer movements, thus it will provide the means for the successful detection of side effects from smaller doses of drug candidates. In addition, it will also allow us to observe any changes in behaviour which might occur as a result of a certain active substance before starting the experiment. Both data collection and analysis are performed via a special software so the probability of human misconduct can also be diminished.
Experimental animals in their own habitat
In almost all types of research that involves the study of animal behaviour, it is essential to examine them in their own habitat in order to have a full and in-depth understanding of the underlying actions and mechanisms. This certainly applies for preclinical tests of drug developments where animals are used to detect side effects. During these experimental animal studies, it is crucial to adequately distinguish the different symptoms caused by possible drug side effects from the ones originating from other external factors. Our system provides all the necessary conditions to observe animals in their own habitat with no or close to zero interference. Rodents are most commonly used in preclinical trials, and those are social beings, hence it is crucial to observe them in natural habitat that includes interactions with their companions. False or ambiguous results can occur when animals are only observed in separation which can lead to wrong conclusions about the possible side effects of drug candidates. One of the innovativeness Rodentech lies in the technology that makes it possible to monitor test animals simultaneously in their own living space with their companions present for the first time.