Metabolomics in preclinical and clinical research


Metabolomics in preclinical and clinical research
Pharmacometabolomics
Lack of translatability from preclinical to clinical stages, toxicities and non-response remain prevalent in drug development, leading to high attrition rates across indications. Metabolomics has proven to be a versatile tool across the pharmaceutical R&D cycle, improving the understanding of how new therapeutic agents act, ultimately providing insights for personalized therapies.
Metabolomics increases success rates at all stages of pharmaceutical development
Only around one in 5,000 compounds tested in the discovery stage are approved for routine use.
Even then, further limitations arise in real-world settings
- Non-response is common, with more than 1 in 3 patients experiencing no clinical benefit
- Drugs may become ineffective due to acquired resistance mechanisms and/or progression of disease
- There is a lack of actionable biomarkers to determine the best course of therapy

With metabolomics, researchers can increase their knowledge of compound biology, so they can identify drug actions beyond the immediate target and improve prioritization of promising compounds.

Metabolic profiling more accurately replicates pathophysiology, facilitating translation of preclinical findings into clinical research.

And with comprehensive patient phenotyping based on an understanding of biomarker response and genetic and environmental factors, it’s possible to identify the right course of therapy to improve outcomes and mitigate risks.
See metabolomics in action across the research cycle
A quantitative metabolomics biomarker strategy increases the success probability of your compound
Discovery
- Mode of action
- Compound prioritization
Preclinical
research
- Response biomarker
- Dosage | mode of delivery
- Molecular toxicology
Clinical
development
- Dose verification
- Safety biomarker
- Resistance or relapse
Approval |
Market
- Patient stratification
- Prediction of response
- Performance CDx
Discovery
Preclinical
research
Clinical
development
Approval |
Market
In vitro studies | Cell lines
- Leverage the fact that metabolism is highly conserved across species
- Replicate findings from previous academic research with standardized quantification
Ease your choice
- Test more parameters to prioritize the most useful
- Understand relevant metabolic pathways using thousands of metabolites and over 400 metabolism indicators
Case study
Advancing cancer treatment by targeting dysregulated metabolism – A roadmap
In this webinar, Dr. Anna Halama (from Weill Cornell Medicine, Qatar) gives an overview of the application of metabolomics in the mechanistic study of cancer in cell cultures and xenografts.
Open in YouTube
Discovery
Preclinical
research
Clinical
development
Approval |
Market
Translate insights from "mouse to man"
- Toxicological parameters are reflected in metabolic alterations
- Mode of action is reflected in metabolic alterations
- Metabolism is highly conserved across species
Improve translation with preferred technology
- Metabolomics is highly sensitive
- Low sample volume allows sequential sampling to reduce animal demand
- Understand relevant metabolic pathways using over 400 metabolism indicators
Case study – PI3K inhibition metabolomic biomarkers
22 of 26 dose-dependent metabolic mouse biomarkers successfully translate into clinical research phase I
(ICR London)
Read the full paper by Ang et al., 2016
Request more case studies – Preclinical and translational research
Talk to an expert

Metabolic effects of different cancer drugs in the same signalling network.
(adapted from work by Florence Raynaud)
Discovery
Preclinical
research
Clinical
development
Approval |
Market
Increase clinical potential
- Identify likely responders
- Get actionable insights for patient care and therapy optimization
- Keep patient safety in check over the whole trial period
Scalable and reproducible solution
- Short turn-around times
- Closely observe patients through scalable turn-around times
- Measure safety- and response biomarkers in different laboratories around the world
Commentary – Adverse effects in immunotherapy
There is growing evidence that metabolomics can provide useful biomarkers for patient outcomes in immunotherapy. Stefan Ledinger, Director of Business Development at biocrates, summarizes views on the role of metabolism in regulating immune responses and perturbations in immunometabolic pathways.
Discovery
Preclinical
research
Clinical
development
Approval |
Market
Optimize treatment
- Tailor treatment to patients’ individual biochemical response
- Improve treatment outcomes and achieve higher patient satisfaction
- Deliver results from precision medicine to precision health
Implement and scale with ease
- Laboratory onboarding takes less than a week
- Fully quality-controlled kit solution
- Globally certified partner network to scale throughput to match demand
Case study
Metabolomics leading the way from stratification to precision medicine
Metabolomics was used to understand immunotherapy response in urological cancers, revealing unconventional supplementation options to make drug treatment more effective.

More resources
Find out more in our pharma brochure
The key to personalized therapies – how to cross the translation barrier with metabolomics in pharmaceutical R&D
Related phenotyping products
MxP® Quant 500 XL
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AbsoluteIDQ® p400 HR
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Tryptophan metabolism assay
Metabolomics at the intersection of immunity, neuronal function, and
gut homeostasis
Talk to an expert

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