The Patient's Biology.
In Your Assay.
We integrate patient-derived organoids into your assays to generate human-relevant data.
This approach helps you better understand drug response and reduce uncertainty before advancing to clinical stages.
View Our Services →90% of Oncology Drugs Fail in Clinical Trials. Here's Why.
The fundamental problem is not the science — it's the models. Traditional 2D cell lines don't replicate the 3D architecture of human tumors. Animal models introduce species-specific biology that doesn't translate. By the time a compound reaches a patient, the model it was tested on shared little with the human biology it needed to affect.
Conventional Models
- 2D monolayer cell lines — flat, artificial architecture
- Cell lines with genetic drift across passages
- Animal models — species-specific biology, poor human translation
- ~5–10% clinical translation rate in oncology
- High attrition cost at Phase II/III
3DxCell Patient-Derived Organoids
- 3D self-organizing structures — mirrors real tumor architecture
- Genetically stable across passages — Generate human-relevant response data
- Human-derived — directly from patient tissue, no reprogramming
- ~90% positive predictive accuracy; 100% negative predictive value
- Early go/no-go decisions
What the Literature Shows for Patient-Derived Organoids
Negative Concordance
In the published Vlachogiannis et al. (2018) cohort, every drug that failed in a patient-derived organoid also failed in the matched patient (n=71 patients, RECIST 1.1).
Positive Concordance
In the same published cohort, approximately 9 out of 10 drugs showing activity in the organoid model also demonstrated clinical response in the matched patient.
Predictive accuracy data referenced from Vlachogiannis et al., “Patient-derived organoids model treatment response of metastatic gastrointestinal cancers”, Science 359, 920–926 (2018).
Vlachogiannis and colleagues established a living biobank of patient-derived organoids (PDOs) from 71 patients with metastatic, heavily pretreated colorectal and gastroesophageal cancers enrolled in phase 1/2 clinical trials. PDOs preserved the histology, genomic landscape (96% mutational concordance with parental tumors), and key oncogenic drivers of the original biopsies, and remained stable across long-term passaging. A 55-compound clinical-stage drug screen on the PDO panel reproduced the actual treatment responses of the matched patients by RECIST 1.1 — including ERBB2-targeted lapatinib activity in an ERBB2-amplified tumor, AKT-inhibitor sensitivity in an AKT1-mutant case, and faithful recapitulation of cetuximab and paclitaxel resistance/sensitivity patterns observed in the clinic. PDO-derived orthotopic mouse xenografts further predicted response to anti-angiogenic regorafenib. The headline result — and the basis for the predictive accuracy figures cited above — is that PDOs reproduced patient drug response with 100% negative predictive value and ~90% positive predictive accuracy, establishing them as a high-fidelity preclinical platform for personalized oncology.
The figures above are based on published research on patient-derived organoid models. 3DxCell's platform generates high-fidelity preclinical data to support drug development and translational research. Our services are intended for research use only and are not designed to guide individual patient diagnostic or treatment decisions.
Patient-Derived Organoids: Mini-Tumors Built From Real Biology
Our organoid models are generated directly from fresh patient tumor biopsies. Unlike iPSC-derived or transformed cell lines, our patient-derived organoids (PDOs) require no genetic reprogramming. They self-organize in three dimensions, preserving key features of the original tumor, including architecture, heterogeneity, and treatment response patterns.
From Biopsy to Decision. In a Single Workflow.
We call it “Concept to Decision” — a defined, standardized workflow connecting patient tissue to interpretable drug response data.
- 1
Tissue Intake
Fresh patient biopsy is received and processed under optimized conditions. Viability assessed at intake.
- 2
PDO Generation
Cells are embedded in matrix and cultured with tumor-type-tailored growth factors. 3D self-organization within 7–21 days.
- 3
Characterization & QC
Models validated by histomorphology, immunofluorescence, and NGS. Only qualifying organoids proceed.
- 4
Compound Testing
Your compounds applied to validated models. IC50, viability, and synergy readouts generated in parallel.
- 5
Decision-Ready Report
Results delivered as a structured scientific report — dose-response curves, predictive scoring, recommendations.
| 1→2 | Tissue intake → organoid formation | 7–21 days | |
| 3 | Characterization & QC | 7–14 days | |
| 4 | Drug assay & readout | 5–10 days | |
| 5 | Report delivery | 3–5 days | |
| Total turnaround | ~4–7 weeks | ||
Timelines vary by tumor type, compound panel size, and project complexity.
Aligned with the FDA Modernization Act 2.0
The FDA Modernization Act 2.0 (signed December 2022) eliminated the requirement for animal testing in drug development, explicitly recognising human-relevant New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) — including organoids — as valid alternatives.
3DxCell's platform is purpose-built for this regulatory moment. Our organoid-based assays provide the human-relevant, reproducible, documented evidence that supports modern IND packages and reduces regulatory risk.
- NAMs-compliant
- Supports IND documentation
- Animal-testing independent
See the Platform Working on Your Compound.
Start with a conversation — tell us about your drug candidate, and we'll outline the right organoid model for it.