Advancing Safety Liability Prediction with iPSC-Based Models: Key Takeaways from the FUJIFILM iPSC Summit 2026

Unanticipated safety liabilities remain one of the most significant causes of clinical attrition in drug development. Eurofins Discovery was honored to participate in the Fujifilm iPSC Summit 2026 in San Diego, a pivotal gathering of iPSC experts and scientists dedicated to bridging the translational gap between preclinical research and clinical relevance using iPSC-based systems.

A highlight of the event was the presentation by our own Verena Albert, PhD, titled “Safety Risk Assessment Using Secondary Pharmacology and iPSC-derived Cardiomyocytes“. Dr. Albert addressed a critical challenge in the industry: the fact that unforeseen safety liabilities drive approximately 30% of clinical failures, while the combination of toxicity and lack of efficacy accounts for nearly 70% of all drug failures.

The talk detailed a high-throughput framework designed to “shift failure earlier” by identifying high-risk candidates long before IND submission. Key scientific insights included:

• Comprehensive Secondary Pharmacology: Utilizing the SAFETYscan^®47 panel, a small library of compounds were screened against 47 human-relevant proteins across 78 functional assays to identify potential off-target interactions.
• Predictive Case Studies: Retroactive analysis of discontinued compounds, such as the PIM kinase inhibitor SGI-1776, demonstrated that in vitro profiling could have predicted the clinical cardiac toxicity (QTc prolongation) that led to its Phase I failure. SGI-1776 exhibited 24 off-target interactions, including significant hits on hERG, Nav1.5, and 5-HTR3A.
• iPSC-Derived Phenotypic Models: While target-focused screens identify the affected targets, phenotypic assays in iPSC-derived cells determine whether interactions with these targets result in measurable biological changes. In our case study, we employed a high-throughput FLIPR calcium flux assay, where we measured critical functional parameters in iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes, that serve as surrogate markers for cardiac contraction and proarrhythmic risk.

Looking Ahead: NAMs and the Future of Drug Safety

The summit concluded with a panel discussion on the growing role of New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) in modern drug discovery. Experts discussed the evolving regulatory expectations, particularly in light of the FDA’s roadmap to reduce reliance on animal testing in favor of more human-relevant, lab-based testing platforms.

At Eurofins Discovery, we are proud to provide the validated, high-throughput tools necessary to meet these new standards and improve the overall efficiency of the drug development pipeline.

Thank you to FUJIFILM Cellular Dynamics and our co-sponsor Yokogawa for hosting this essential scientific exchange.

For more information about our services visit https://www.eurofinsdiscovery.com/solution/safety-pharmacology