Experience, Expertise, Equipment

We have an established track record in running quality hERG tests that produce accurate data, allowing our customers to make reliable decisions with confidence.

There are two risks associated with hERG testing:

1. The risk of wasting a potential commercial opportunity by eliminating compounds that do not have hERG activity but test positive (false positives)


2. The risk of wasting time and money on developing drugs that do have hERG activity but test negative (false negatives)

The question for any drug discovery company in out-sourcing hERG screening is one of reliability - i.e. can you rely on the data generated by the test, and can you rely on your supplier's interpretation of that data?

The NeuroSolutions Ltd. Advantage

As a specialist provider of electrophysiology services to the global drug discovery industry, we have a set of core competencies that underpin our approach to hERG testing. These competencies differentiate NeuroSolutions' service from those offered by other suppliers:

• We have developed and optimised hERG screening assays and protocols which produce the exceptionally high quality data required for accurate screening of compounds for potential hERG interactions. Our proprietary test systems reduce the rate of "false positives" which lowers the risk of potentially successful compounds being rejected.


• We have a high level of expertise in the interpretation of electrophysiological data, and this has yielded successful outcomes for our customers.


• We offer both automated and manual patch clamp assays enabling us to configure tests that meet the unique needs of each individual customer.


• Our automated patch clamp assay runs on Sophion's QPatch system with 16 independent channels. This permits higher throughput than manual patch-clamp screening giving greater cost efficiency and reduced turn-around time for the production of data.


• The automated test systems we use have been specifically designed to overcome the problems associated with screening 'sticky compounds' which, as reported in the literature, have been an issue with other test systems. These problems are known to produce "false negatives" resulting in the passing of drugs which are subsequently failed because of hERG activity. Furthermore, we have excellent correlation of our automated systems with the gold standard, and our IC₅₀ data back this up. This enables us to achieve higher throughput screening with no compromise on data quality.


• Our manual patch clamp assay provides 'Gold Standard' hERG inhibition data

• We are aware of the budgetary constraints of companies working in early stage discovery, and have priced our services accordingly
• We pride ourselves in offering exceptional customer service as well as a fast-turnaround

Project Management

Our approach to project management and customer service is straightforward and professional:

• we start with an individual consultation with you, scientist to scientist, to gain an in-depth understanding of your requirements
• we identify the most appropriate test system for your programme
• we agree the timescales for delivering your results
• throughout the test we send you interim reports to keep you informed of our progress
• on completion we offer a final consultation to discuss the results with you in person
• finally we give you a detailed package of results

Contact Us

We invite you to contact our experts today for a free, confidential consultation on any of the following:

• about hERG screening in general
• advice on how to budget for hERG screening
• to discuss a screening programme for the compounds in your discovery pipeline

Telephone +44 (0)8458 338 894 or +44 (0)1223 832 549 (outside UK) E-mail herg@nsolns.com