Reaction Biology

What Reaction Biology does

Reaction Biology Corporation is a private, US-headquartered contract research organization (CRO) founded around 2003 and operating for over 20 years in preclinical drug discovery services. The firm supports pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and academic clients with assay development, biochemical and cell-based screening, biophysical characterization, safety/toxicology, in vivo pharmacology, and immuno-oncology services, organized into nine integrated solution areas spanning biochemical assays, cell-based assays, biophysics, safety/toxicology, in vivo pharmacology, immuno-oncology, biomarker discovery, and GMP bioassays.

The core technology stack is built around proprietary radiometric assay platforms — most notably HotSpot™ and ³³PanQinase™ radiometric kinase assays, the MT HotSpot™ methyltransferase assay, and the LinkLight™ protein-protein interaction platform — alongside licensed third-party technologies such as Promega's NanoBRET target engagement and ADP-Glo systems. The firm maintains the industry's largest kinase panel (700+ kinases) and over 2,000 assays including 44+ methyltransferases and 126+ bromodomain assays, covering wild-type, mutant, lipid, and atypical kinases, supported by 1,000+ cell lines. Customer testimonials reference Boehringer Ingelheim, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Perha Pharmaceuticals, ManRos Therapeutics, and Ludwig-Maximilian's University of Munich as engagements producing peer-reviewed publications and programs supporting FDA approvals.

Reaction Biology operates a project-based, fee-for-service CRO revenue model with quote-based engagement through business development managers, and sells a complementary catalog of recombinant kinases, epigenetic proteins, and assay kits via an online shop. US operations are anchored in Malvern, PA, while European operations span Freiburg (formerly ProQinase) and Heidelberg, the latter added through the December 2022 acquisition of Bioassay GmbH and its PSL subsidiary, which brought GMP and GLP accreditation and large-molecule infrastructure. Partnerships with Medinoah (integrated PROTAC discovery) and Promega (NanoBRET, ADP-Glo licensing) extend the platform into emerging modalities.

Name

Reaction Biology

Legal name

Reaction Biology Corporation

Website

https://reactionbiology.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Reaction Biology is a private US-headquartered drug discovery CRO that provides preclinical biochemical, cell-based, biophysical, in vivo pharmacology, and immuno-oncology assay services to pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and academic clients, anchored by the industry's largest kinase panel and proprietary radiometric assay platforms.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Drug Discovery CRO Services

NAICS

Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714), Scientific Research and Development Services (5417)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Preclinical CROs (Discovery/Pharmacology/DMPK) (HLAGAAAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Bioanalytical & Biomarker CROs (PK/PD/Immunogenicity) (HLAGAAAD), DMPK / ADME & Bioanalysis (HLAGAFAC), In Vivo Discovery & Translational Models Platforms (humanized models, PK/PD, efficacy) (HLAAAIAK), Specialty Therapeutic-Area CROs (e.g., oncology/rare disease) (HLAGAAAL)

Keywords

• Drug discovery services
• Kinase profiling assays
• Cell-based assays
• Preclinical research
• Biophysical assays

Headquarters

HQ city

Malvern

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Contract Research Services: Fee-for-service CRO model providing preclinical drug discovery services including biochemical assays, cell-based assays, biophysical assays, safety/toxicology, in vivo pharmacology, and immuno-oncology services. Revenue generated through project-based contracts with pharmaceutical, biotech, and academic clients.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Reaction Biology is a contract research organization (CRO) that provides preclinical drug discovery services to pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and academic clients. Its offerings span biochemical kinase and epigenetic enzyme assays, cell-based and phenotypic assays, biophysical assays (SPR, MST, ITC, TSA), safety and toxicology, in vivo pharmacology including xenograft tumor models, and immuno-oncology services such as CAR-T and humanized mouse models. The company also sells recombinant kinases, epigenetic proteins, and assay kits (e.g., BromoMELT™) through its online product shop.

Product overview

Reaction Biology is a contract research organization (CRO) offering a comprehensive preclinical drug discovery services platform alongside a portfolio of research-grade products. The service portfolio is organized into nine integrated solution areas: (1) Integrated Solutions (end-to-end kinase, RAS, EGFR, and targeted protein degradation workflows); (2) Biochemical Assays (the industry's largest collection of 700+ kinase assays plus epigenetic enzyme panels covering methyltransferases, demethylases, HATs, HDACs/sirtuins, bromodomains, and readers — totaling 2000+ assays); (3) Cell-Based Assays (2D and 3D phenotypic screening including ProLiFiler™ 160-cell cancer panel and 3D spheroid models); (4) Biophysical Assays (SPR, Thermal Shift, MST, ITC); (5) Safety & Toxicology (in vitro safety, cardiac safety, cytochrome P450, GLP toxicology); (6) In Vivo Pharmacology (xenograft tumor models across subcutaneous, orthotopic, and metastasis placements); (7) Immuno-Oncology (CAR-T, humanized/syngeneic mouse models, T/NK cell killing assays, immunophenotyping); (8) GMP Bioassays (regulatory-compliant potency testing and clinical biomarker testing); and (9) Custom Services (custom kinase/epigenetic drug discovery, cell line generation, protein production). The product portfolio includes recombinant kinases, lipid kinases, epigenetic proteins, assay kits (BromoMELT™), and RAS-related proteins sold through the company's online shop. Proprietary named platforms include LinkLight™ (protein-protein interaction assays for GPCR research) and ProLiFiler™ (cancer cell panel screening). Scientific tools include Kinase Mapper (selectivity visualization), MoA Finder, and Biomarker Analysis Tool. The company operates US (Malvern, PA) and EU (Freiburg, Germany) facilities, having expanded through the 2022 acquisition of Bioassay GmbH and its PSL subsidiary in Heidelberg.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• LinkLight: Protein-Protein Interaction assay platform for detecting fleeting PPIs in living cells using TEV protease and luciferase complementation technology.
• ProLiFiler
• HotSpot
• 33PanQinase

Products and services

• Integrated Drug Discovery Solutions End-to-end integrated service lines for kinase discovery, RAS drug discovery, EGFR drug discovery, antibody-drug conjugates, and targeted protein degradation assays, delivered as coordinated CRO programs for pharma and biotech clients.
• HotSpot™ Kinase Screening Service Gold-standard radiometric kinase activity assay service using ³³P-labeled ATP with filter membrane capture at physiological ATP concentrations, performed at the US facility covering the industry's largest kinase panel of 340 wild-type kinases at 1 mM ATP.
• ³³PanQinase™ Kinase Screening Service Radiometric kinase assay service using ³³P-labeled ATP with ScintiPlate scintillant-coated microtiter plates, performed at the Freiburg, Germany facility for broad kinome coverage at apparent ATP-Km concentrations.
• MT HotSpot™ Methyltransferase Assay Service Radiometric filter binding assay service for methyltransferase profiling and high-throughput screening using ³H-AdoMet as methyl donor, covering over 44 methyltransferase targets with no substrate modification required.
• LinkLight™ Protein-Protein Interaction Assays Functional cell-based assay service that detects fleeting protein-protein interactions in living cells using TEV protease cleavage and luciferase complementation, converting transient events into stable luminescent signals for high-throughput screening, including GPCR β-arrestin recruitment studies.
• ProLiFiler™ Cancer Cell Panel Screening Efficacy screening service profiling compound activity across 160 cancer cell lines for lead identification and drug response prediction, applicable in 2D and 3D spheroid formats.
• OncoFlow-Profiler Antigen Screening Antigen screening service for immuno-oncology research, enabling profiling of antigen targets across cancer cell models for immunotherapy development.
• Biophysical Assay Services (SPR, MST, ITC, TSA) CRO service line for biophysical characterization using Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR), Thermal Shift Assay (TSA), Microscale Thermophoresis (MST), and Isothermal Titration Calorimetry (ITC) for binding affinity, kinetics, and thermodynamic profiling of compounds.
• In Vivo Pharmacology Services In vivo pharmacology CRO service offering xenograft tumor models (subcutaneous, orthotopic, metastasis), in vivo kinase activity models, in vivo PK/PD, hollow fiber assays, and preclinical irradiation studies for oncology drug development.
• Immuno-Oncology Services CRO service line for immuno-oncology programs including a CAR-T cell therapy platform, humanized xenograft models, humanized syngeneic models, syngeneic mouse models, mouse-derived isograft models, T cell and NK cell killing assays, macrophage assays, and immunophenotyping by flow cytometry, immunohistochemistry, and multiplex immune assays.
• GMP Bioassay Services Regulatory-compliant potency testing and clinical biomarker testing services for biopharmaceuticals, GMP- and GLP-accredited through the Bioassay GmbH and PSL subsidiaries acquired in December 2022.
• Safety and Toxicology Services Safety and toxicology CRO services including in vitro safety screening, cardiac safety assessment, cytochrome P450 assays, maximum-tolerated dose studies, and GLP regulatory toxicology for IND-enabling programs.
• Recombinant Kinase Products Catalog products including active protein kinases, active lipid kinases, additional kinase variants, and recombinant kinase substrates available for purchase through the online shop for in-house research use.
• Epigenetic Recombinant Protein Products Catalog of recombinant epigenetic proteins, methyltransferase substrates, reader domain proteins, deacetylases, demethylases, DNA repair proteins, IDH proteins, PARP proteins, and epigenetic inhibitors sold through the company's online shop for in-house research use.
• BromoMELT™ Assay Kit A bromodomain inhibitor screening kit sold as a catalog product for in-house selectivity profiling of bromodomain-targeting compounds, part of Reaction Biology's reader domain assay portfolio.

Quantifiable outcome

• Therapies that have received regulatory approval from FDA and other global regulatory agencies
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• MedinoahcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partnership with Medinoah, a medicinal chemistry provider with expertise in drug synthesis and structural optimization and one of the earliest CROs entering the PROTAC field. Together they offer the 'Rethinking PROTAC' platform - a one-stop shop for integrated discovery of new PROTAC molecules. The partnership includes access to Medinoah's computational AI platform for predicting PROTAC ternary complex structure.
• PromegacoreTechnology or IntegrationLicensed use of Promega's NanoBRET technology for target engagement assays and ADP-Glo kinase assay technology for lipid kinase screening. The NanoBRET assay employs Promega's split NanoLuc luciferase technology for measuring molecular proximity in living cells.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Evotec: Evotec is a drug discovery CRO with integrated services spanning target identification, in vitro pharmacology, kinase profiling, and integrated discovery platforms. Closely comparable business model and service mix to Reaction Biology, including emphasis on proprietary assay platforms.
• Eurofins Panlabs: Eurofins Panlabs (formerly Eurofins Pharma Discovery Services) provides in vitro and in vivo pharmacology including kinase profiling and safety pharmacology. Direct competitor to Reaction Biology's kinase and preclinical pharmacology services.
• Carna Biosciences: Carna Biosciences is a Japanese kinase-focused CRO and reagent supplier with a large proprietary kinase panel and cell-based profiling services. Direct competitor to Reaction Biology's HotSpot™ kinase offering, with similar technology positioning and reagent catalog.
• DiscoverX (Eurofins): DiscoverX (a Eurofins company) offers cell-based assay platforms and biochemical kinase screening services. Competes directly with Reaction Biology's kinase panel and cell-based assay offerings, particularly for GPCR and PPI screening.
• Sygnature Discovery: Sygnature Discovery is a UK-headquartered drug discovery CRO offering medicinal chemistry, in vitro pharmacology, and kinase screening. Closely comparable mid-size CRO business model and customer base to Reaction Biology.

Broad incumbents

• Thermo Fisher Scientific (PPD): Thermo Fisher's PPD clinical research business and life-science services arm compete across discovery, ADME, and safety assessment. Overlaps with Reaction Biology's preclinical offerings and large-molecule bioanalytical capabilities.
• Labcorp Drug Development (Covance): Labcorp Drug Development (formerly Covance) provides preclinical and clinical CRO services including in vitro pharmacology and biomarker discovery. A direct competitor for outsourced preclinical discovery work and immuno-oncology services.
• Eurofins Discovery: Eurofins Discovery (Eurofins Scientific subsidiary) is one of the largest global CROs offering a broad portfolio of biochemical, cell-based, in vitro pharmacology, and ADME services. Direct overlap with Reaction Biology's biochemical and cell-based assay services for drug discovery.
• Pharmaron: Pharmaron provides integrated drug discovery, DMPK, and safety assessment services from labs in the US, UK, and China. Overlaps with Reaction Biology's preclinical services and offers geographic breadth Reaction Biology lacks in APAC.
• Charles River Laboratories: Charles River Laboratories offers end-to-end discovery and safety assessment services including in vitro pharmacology, kinase profiling, and safety/toxicology. Overlaps with Reaction Biology's preclinical drug discovery and safety/toxicology service lines at a larger scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ReactionBiology
• Facebookfacebook.com/ReactionBiology
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/reaction-biology-corporation

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Reaction Biology