Medicines Discovery Network expands biosamples supply to create one of the largest virtual biobanks

Medicines Discovery Catapult (MDC) has expanded its biosamples supply network to create one of the largest virtual biobanks available to researchers.  

MDC has welcomed Audubon Biosciences, Biomex, Caltag Medsystems and Tissue for Research to its network of patient sample suppliers, bringing the virtual network to over 330 clinical sites and 1.5 million banked biosamples.

The new partners include specialists in ultra-rapid sample distribution, sample access, liquid biopsy/diagnostics development and access to unique biosample sources.

MDC’s network is already being used to support the UK’s Covid-19 response, providing researchers and industry grant applications with ethical routes to biosamples not previously available to many in the UK.

Ensuring correct samples are ethically sourced removes risks and speeds up R&D, supporting MDC’s aim to make the sector more predictive and more productive. 

Professor Peter Simpson, chief scientific officer of Medicines Discovery Catapult, says: “Despite millions of UK patients donating samples for scientific research, access remains a barrier to R&D productivity. At MDC we are expanding our tissue samples network further, because we are committed to ensuring UK life science organisations can readily access the samples they need to conduct experiments that are vital for the discovery of new medicines.”