Organovo Holdings, Inc. announced that it has successfully advanced its first inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) model to the next step of target discovery and validation for Crohn's disease. Based on its internal data and scientific results, the company believes that its first IBD model correctly demonstrates key aspects of Crohn's patient biology that differ from a non-diseased state, and can be used to find and characterize therapeutics. More than 1 million people in North America suffer from Crohn's and its prevalence is increasing globally.

Because of its progressive nature, more than 70% will require at least one surgical intervention to relieve symptoms. Current drugs can slow progression in about 50% of patients, but none are curative. Defects in the intestinal lining and inflammation can lead to abdominal pain, severe diarrhea, fatigue, weight loss, malnutrition, and lower quality of life. Chronic inflammation leads to ulcers, fistulas and bowel obstructions caused by fibrosis.

Organovo believes that its 3D tissue technologies are well suited to drug and target discovery in IBD because they contain a functional intestinal epithelium that is affected by disease and a stromal layer demonstrating disease-dependent fibrosis, key targets for therapy. Organovo previously announced that it had updated its business model to capitalize on its human 3D tissue technologies in drug discovery, building disease models to find effective therapies that are more likely to succeed in the clinic than drugs discovered using animal models.