Probably one of the more exciting companies within the 3D printing space is that of Organovo. The company, based in San Diego California, has an ultimate goal of 3D printing actual human organs for transplantation. Although they are likely a decade, or maybe further, from actually implanting the first 3D printed organ, the company is making some very good progress in the process; progress that can be monetized, which allows them to continue to fund their work.
Last week Organovo reported their quarterly earnings, which were nothing to get too excited about, however, during that report an interesting tidbit of information was revealed, one which showed investors that progress is in fact being made.
The company revealed that they have been collaborating with a major pharmaceutical company, and have showed, via testing, that their 3D printed liver tissue can be used to determine if drugs are toxic to the human liver. The test was performed on a drug which had previously been deemed safe, after animal testing through pre-clinical studies. The drug was also deemed safe after in vitro testing, however, once it faced clinical testing, it did in fact cause liver damage. The toxicity was noticed only after testing the drug on several patients and spending a significant amount of money. Organovo’s 3D printed liver tissue detected the toxicity right away, and would have saved this particular drug company a significant amount of money if it had been used instead of traditional methods of testing.
“Organovo met a key challenge in this recent quarter,” Chairman and CEO Keith Murphy said. “While we knew our liver tissue showed metabolic activity and basic toxicology results comparable to native tissue, we had to ask the question: could it be predictive of drug problems where other methods have failed? These results demonstrate clearly for the first time that our tissue has been able to detect drug-induced liver injury that other methods in the past failed to predict. With this data in hand, we are continuing to push progress in the commercialization of our 3D Liver Tissue. We remain on track for commercial release of our 3D Human Liver Tissue later this calendar year.”
Although this is a small step towards their ultimate goal of printing out entire organs, this revelation will likely go a long way at insuring investors that the company is on the right track. Although the pharmaceutical company that they are working with was not publicly revealed, there is a very good chance that it is the same company which they announced that they were teaming with last month to evaluate their liver tissue, Johnson & Johnson.
Let’s hear your thoughts on this news within the Organovo liver tissue forum thread on 3DPB.com.
Subscribe to Our Email Newsletter
Stay up-to-date on all the latest news from the 3D printing industry and receive information and offers from third party vendors.
Print Services
Upload your 3D Models and get them printed quickly and efficiently.
You May Also Like
Reinventing Reindustrialization: Why NAVWAR Project Manager Spencer Koroly Invented a Made-in-America 3D Printer
It has become virtually impossible to regularly follow additive manufacturing (AM) industry news and not stumble across the term “defense industrial base” (DIB), a concept encompassing all the many diverse...
Inside The Barnes Global Advisors’ Vision for a Stronger AM Ecosystem
As additive manufacturing (AM) continues to revolutionize the industrial landscape, Pittsburgh-based consultancy The Barnes Global Advisors (TBGA) is helping shape what that future looks like. As the largest independent AM...
Ruggedized: How USMC Innovation Officer Matt Pine Navigates 3D Printing in the Military
Disclaimer: Matt Pine’s views are not the views of the Department of Defense nor the U.S. Marine Corps Throughout this decade thus far, the military’s adoption of additive manufacturing (AM)...
U.S. Congress Calls Out 3D Printing in Proposal for Commercial Reserve Manufacturing Network
Last week, the U.S. House of Representatives’ Appropriations Committee moved the FY 2026 defense bill forward to the House floor. Included in the legislation is a $131 million proposal for...