Sheffield, UK. 18th January 2012. Simcyp Limited , the leader in modelling and simulation of drug-drug interactions in virtual human populations, today announces it has extended its animal models to include a virtual mouse.

Laboratory mice are used extensively in the development of new anti-cancer drugs as well as toxicological studies involving agrochemicals.  This research often involves using mice which have been genetically modified in order to investigate the role that drug metabolising enzymes and transporters play in the accumlation of drugs in the whole animal or in specific tissues.  The Simcyp Mouse provides a virtual environment for evaluating drug disposition which will replace the need for some live animal testing in normal as well as transgenic mice, thus reducing and refining preclinical investigation.

The Simcyp Simulators are mathmatical models linking numerous physiological, genetic and biochemical databases with drug-specific data to produce "real-life" predictions to help optimise drug development.  The ability to create virtual transgenic mice by adding (knocking-in) or deleting (knocking-out) certain genes is a unique feature of this model.

Dr Steve Toon, Executive Director at Simcyp, commented:  "The Simcyp Mouse Simulator is a valuable addition to our portfolio of virtual animal models.  Simcyp Mouse will be an incredibly useful tool for scientists and clinicians developing new anti-cancer drugs helping reduce cost, accelerate development timelines and reduce animal testing.  I am proud that Simcyp is able to make its own contribution to the advancement of cancer research."

Members of the Simcyp Consortium of leading pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies have automatic access to all of Simcyp's preclinical models with the latest release of the Simcyp Population-based Simulator.  Licenses for Simcyp Animal can now also be granted to companies outside of the Consortium including contract research organisations.