Feb 4 2014
The BiO Assay, a magnetic 3D bioprinting system being marketed and developed by Rainbow Coral Corp. (OTCBB: RBCC) and joint venture partner Nano3D Biosciences (n3D), is the first designed specifically for rapid, high-volume drug screening—ushering in an exciting new era in medicine.
The automated toxicity assay uses biocompatible magnetic nanoparticles to magnetize and print cells into 3D structures much faster and more affordably than competing bioprinting technology currently on the market, allowing drug makers to determine whether a compound will adversely react to human tissues and cut off pricey research if it’s headed for a dead end. Cutting-edge research utilizing the BiO Assay has been published in peer-reviewed journals such as Nature Nanotechnology, Nature Protocols, Tissue Engineering and Nature Reviews Cancer.
Industry analysts Transparency Market Research predicted last year that the medical 3D printing market will enjoy a compound annual growth rate of 15.4 percent over the next six years, expanding from a value of $345 million in 2012 to nearly a billion dollars in 2019. RBCC believes that the BiO Assay has the company well-positioned to capitalize on that growth.
“Beginning with a revolution in drug screening, new innovations such as the BiO Assay are making personalized medicine the new reality in healthcare,” said RBCC CEO Kimberly Palmer.
RBCC formed a biotech subsidiary, Rainbow Biosciences, to market and develop new medical and research technology innovations to compete alongside companies such as Biogen Idec Inc. (NASDAQ: BIIB), Abbott Laboratories (NYSE: ABT) and Amgen Inc. (NASDAQ: AMGN). In 2012, Rainbow Biosciences acquired an equity interest in n3D.