CellzDirect

CellzDirect was a specialized biotechnology company focused on providing hepatocyte-based products and services for the pharmaceutical industry. The company was a leader in the isolation, cryopreservation, and characterization of primary human and animal liver cells. These products were critical for in vitro drug metabolism and pharmacokinetics (DMPK) studies, as well as toxicology testing. CellzDirect's proprietary technologies allowed for the production of high-quality, plateable cryopreserved hepatocytes, which significantly improved the efficiency of drug candidate screening. In 2008, the company was acquired by Invitrogen Corporation for approximately $57 million to bolster its drug discovery portfolio. Today, the CellzDirect brand and its technologies are integrated into the biosciences division of Thermo Fisher Scientific.