Simultaneous In Vitro Profiling of Anticancer Efficacy and Toxicity

Many oncology drug candidates with promising preclinical activity ultimately fail because safety liabilities emerge too late in development. An integrated approach that evaluates both efficacy and safety early may help teams make more informed candidate-selection decisions.

At AACR 2026, WuXi Biology and Testing showcased an integrated in vitro profiling platform designed for the simultaneous assessment of anticancer efficacy and early safety liabilities. The platform combines efficacy testing in 2D and 3D cell tumor models with in vitro assessments of hepatotoxicity, nephrotoxicity, pulmonary toxicity, mitochondrial toxicity, and phototoxicity.

Using a panel of KRAS inhibitors as a case study, the team demonstrated how different inhibitor classes generated distinct efficacy-safety profiles across KRAS-mutant and normal cell models, highlighting the value of integrated in vitro profiling for early candidate evaluation.