Clyde Biosciences
Clyde Biosciences is a UK-based CRO that provides in vitro cardiac safety and efficacy testing on hiPSC-derived cardiomyocytes using its proprietary CellOPTIQ® platform, serving pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies with CiPA-aligned assays for IND submissions.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2012
- HeadquartersNewhouse, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Clyde Biosciences does
Clyde Biosciences Limited is a UK-based contract research organisation (CRO) founded in 2012 as a spin-out from the University of Glasgow's College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences. The company provides in vitro cardiac safety and efficacy testing services to pharmaceutical and biotechnology sponsors, using human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived and adult cardiomyocytes to predict drug-induced cardiotoxicity, proarrhythmic risk, and heart failure efficacy ahead of IND submissions.
Clyde's core technology is the proprietary CellOPTIQ® platform, which uses voltage-sensitive dyes to simultaneously measure transmembrane voltage, intracellular calcium dynamics, and contractility in the same cardiomyocytes. The platform captures data at greater than 10 kHz and up to 200 high-resolution images per second, delivering patch-clamp quality data in a 96-well medium-throughput format. Supporting assets include the MUSCLEMOTION open-source analysis algorithm and an in silico modelling service integrating 20 ion channels and 4 ion pumps/exchangers. Clyde is the only CRO with an FDA-validated hiPSC cardiomyocyte CiPA assay.
Clyde generates revenue through fee-for-service contract research, with quote-based pricing on tailored study proposals spanning discovery through IND-enabling work. It serves two primary segments — large pharmaceutical companies and biotechnology companies — with regulatory agencies (FDA, HESI) and academic consortia (NC3Rs, Nottingham University) as secondary collaborators. Since 2012 the company has delivered over 300 studies to more than 150 customers globally, including AstraZeneca, Pfizer, AbbVie, GSK, Merck, Bristol Myers Squibb, Genentech, Janssen, Eisai, Orion Pharma, and Gossamer Bio. Distribution is exclusively direct enterprise sales, with business development coverage in the UK, United States, and China.
Clyde Biosciences firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Clyde Biosciences
- Legal name
- Clyde Biosciences Limited
- Website
- https://clydebio.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2012
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Clyde Biosciences is a UK-based CRO that provides in vitro cardiac safety and efficacy testing on hiPSC-derived cardiomyocytes using its proprietary CellOPTIQ® platform, serving pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies with CiPA-aligned assays for IND submissions.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Clyde Biosciences industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Cardiac Safety Contract Research Services
- NAICS
- Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Testing Laboratories and Services (54138)
- SIC
- Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Imaging & Cardiac Safety Core Labs (ECOG/EEG/ECG) (HLAGAAAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Preclinical CROs (Discovery/Pharmacology/DMPK) (HLAGAAAB), Central Laboratory & Clinical Trial Testing CROs (HLAGAAAE)
Keywords
Where Clyde Biosciences is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Newhouse
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Clyde Biosciences business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Contract Research Services (CRO): Clyde Biosciences operates as a Contract Research Organisation (CRO) providing fee-for-service cardiac safety and efficacy assay services to pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. Services are tailored to client objectives, with dedicated scientific leads and comprehensive reporting. Revenue is generated through project-based contracts for assay services spanning discovery through IND-enabling studies.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
Clyde Biosciences product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Clyde Biosciences is a contract research organization (CRO) that provides cardiac safety and efficacy testing services to pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies using its proprietary CellOPTIQ® platform, which simultaneously measures voltage, calcium, and contractility in hiPSC-derived and adult cardiomyocytes. The company delivers FDA-validated CiPA assays, mechanistic cardiovascular toxicity studies, heart failure efficacy testing, primary screening, hiPSC characterisation, voltage/calcium/contractility assays, in silico modelling, and custom R&D services. Customers engage Clyde through direct enterprise sales for project-based contracts, with most standard studies completed within two weeks.
Product overview
Clyde Biosciences operates as a contract research organization (CRO) offering a unified platform-based service portfolio anchored by the CellOPTIQ® platform, which simultaneously measures voltage, calcium, and contractility in the same hiPSC-derived or adult cardiomyocytes. The portfolio includes the core CellOPTIQ® platform for integrated multi-parameter cardiac assessment, the CellOPTIQ®-X contractility module, the MUSCLEMOTION open-source analysis algorithm, and the In Silico Modelling service for computational predictions. Supporting services include the CiPA Assay for regulatory-compliant proarrhythmic risk assessment, the Mechanistic Cardiovascular Toxicity Assay for mechanistic insights, the Heart Failure Assay for therapeutic efficacy, the Primary Screening Assay for early liability detection, hiPSC Cardiomyocyte Characterisation & Validation, and dedicated Voltage, Calcium, and Contractility assays. The Custom R&D service enables bespoke assay development. This platform-plus-services architecture delivers patch-clamp quality data in medium-throughput 96-well format, aligned with FDA CiPA initiatives and NAMs-based regulatory guidance.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- CellOPTIQ®: Proprietary optical cell function assay platform that simultaneously measures voltage, calcium, and contractility in human iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes for cardiac safety testing.
- MUSCLEMOTION
- CellOPTIQ®-X
Products and services
- CellOPTIQ® Platform Service Proprietary cardiovascular NAM platform service that simultaneously measures electrophysiology (voltage), calcium dynamics, and contractility in the same hiPSC-derived or adult cardiomyocytes, delivering patch-clamp-quality data in a medium-throughput 96-well format for pharmaceutical and biotech customers.
- CiPA Assay Service Comprehensive In Vitro Proarrhythmia Assay using voltage-sensitive dyes in hiPSC-derived cardiomyocytes to predict proarrhythmic risk, QT prolongation, and QRS risk; FDA-validated with 95% positive predictive power.
- Mechanistic Cardiovascular Toxicity Assay Service Service measuring voltage, calcium, and contractility during prolonged compound exposure to identify mechanisms including acute vs chronic effects, hERG trafficking, chronotropic liability, negative inotropy, and proarrhythmic risk.
- Heart Failure Assay Service Testing platform service for potential heart failure therapeutics using hiPSC and adult cardiomyocytes with simultaneous voltage, calcium, and contractility measurements to support lead optimisation and gene therapy efficacy assessment.
- Primary Screening Assay Service Early-stage cardiovascular liability identification service for hit-to-lead and lead optimisation phases, screening compounds for hERG, Cav, and Nav effects, excitability changes, APD90 prolongation, triangulation, and EADs.
- hiPSC Cardiomyocyte Characterisation & Validation Service Service characterising and validating hiPSC cardiomyocytes from major providers, including optimisation of plating densities, baseline characteristics assessment, restitution curves, and CiPA reference compound testing.
- Voltage Assay Service Proprietary voltage-sensitive dye assay service measuring transmembrane voltage at more than 10 kHz data capture rate, enabling detection of subtle changes in upstroke kinetics and detailed analysis of all action potential phases from upstroke through repolarisation.
- Calcium Assay Service Ratiometric dye-based calcium flux assay service measuring intracellular calcium transients using wavelength analysis unaffected by movement artefact or cell layer thickness variations, with simultaneous voltage and calcium measurement at 10,000 times per second.
- CellOPTIQ®-X Contractility Assay Service High-resolution contractility assay service capturing up to 200 high-resolution images per second to detect cardiotoxic potential and elucidate differential inotropic effects on contractile proteins, supporting early identification of contractility toxicities with higher throughput.
- In Silico Modelling Service Computational modelling service integrating 20 ion channels and 4 ion pumps/exchangers to provide quantitative predictions of drug effects on membrane potential and intracellular calcium signals in iPSC-derived cardiac cells, supporting CiPA and proarrhythmic risk prediction.
- Custom R&D Service Tailored assay development service working with Clyde's expert cardiac scientists to develop novel assays and protocols for cardiomyocytes, neurons, and skeletal muscle cells using techniques including siRNA knockdown.
Quantifiable outcome
- 93% accuracy in predicting drug effects on heart contractility in blinded multi-centre NC3Rs Crackit Inpulse study
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Clyde Biosciences
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Clyde Biosciences technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability7 records
Feature5 records
Clyde Biosciences partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
15 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Gossamer BiominorGossamer Bio published case studies using Clyde's hiPSC-CM assay via the CellOPTIQ platform, demonstrating early identification of a broad set of cardiovascular liabilities including negative inotropy and electrical conduction alterations. Results were showcased at SPS2021.
- HESI (Health and Environment Sciences Institute)coreCo-led the CiPA initiative with the FDA. Clyde founders contributed to an FDA/HESI CiPA publication specifying best practices for the CiPA assay. HESI is an international non-profit scientific organisation that funds and manages research programmes.
- GSKcoreCollaborated with Clyde and Professor Chris Denning at Nottingham University on the major NC3Rs Crackit Inpulse study — a blinded multi-centre evaluation of drug-induced changes in contractility using hiPSC-CMs. Clyde's platform provided the majority of data in this large study.
- Nottingham University (Professor Chris Denning)coreAcademic collaboration on the NC3Rs Crackit Inpulse study alongside Clyde and GSK, focusing on developing a physiologically-relevant contractility platform with mature hiPSC-derived cardiomyocytes.
- NC3RscoreNC3Rs Crackit Challenge funded and oversaw the Inpulse study involving Clyde, GSK, and Nottingham University, aimed at generating a contractility platform for assessing cardiac liabilities of drugs using hiPSC-CMs. The study validated Clyde's 93% accuracy in predicting contractility effects.
- FDA (US Food & Drug Administration)coreClyde's Chief Scientific Officer Professor Godfrey Smith provides scientific leadership over one of CiPA's core programmes. Clyde is the only CRO with an FDA-validated hiPSC cardiomyocyte CiPA assay. The FDA leads the CiPA initiative in which Clyde's CellOPTIQ system was validated.
- AbbViecoreCollaborated with Clyde on the influence of fibroblast co-culture and 3D structures on cardiac action potentials of human stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes, presented as a scientific poster at the Safety Pharmacology Society meeting.
- MerckcoreCollaborated with Clyde on the CiPA initiative alongside other major pharmaceutical companies for the global cardiac safety assessment improvement programme.
- Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS)coreCollaborated with Clyde on the CiPA initiative alongside other major pharmaceutical companies for the global cardiac safety assessment improvement programme.
- GenentechcoreCollaborated with Clyde on the CiPA initiative alongside other major pharmaceutical companies for the global cardiac safety assessment improvement programme.
- JanssencoreCollaborated with Clyde on the CiPA initiative alongside other major pharmaceutical companies for the global cardiac safety assessment improvement programme.
- EisaicoreCollaborated with Clyde on the CiPA initiative alongside other major pharmaceutical companies for the global cardiac safety assessment improvement programme.
- AstraZenecacoreCollaborated on a project examining the effects of certain drug compounds on cardiac cells, cited in The Scotsman as evidence of Clyde's innovative work in Scottish life sciences.
- PfizercoreCollaboration on measurements of voltage, intracellular Ca2+ and contraction from spontaneous iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes using CellOPTIQ platform, revealing complex drug effects that parallel in vivo cardiac effects. Results presented as a scientific poster at SPS 2017.
- Orion PharmacoreCollaboration on measurements of action potentials from iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes using CellOPTIQ platform, demonstrating prediction of single ion channel effects and in vitro whole heart electrophysiological responses. Results presented as a scientific poster at SPS 2017.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Clyde Biosciences competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Metrion Biosciences: UK-based CRO specialising in cardiac safety and ion channel services for drug discovery. Metrion competes head-to-head with Clyde in hiPSC cardiomyocyte and cardiac safety assay services for pharma and biotech customers.
- Ncardia: Belgium-based hiPSC cardiomyocyte specialist offering cardiac safety and disease modelling services. Ncardia is a direct competitor in hiPSC-derived cardiac assays serving pharma preclinical safety programmes.
Broad incumbents
- Cyprotex (an Evotec company): Contract research organisation within Evotec providing preclinical ADME-Tox and cardiac safety services, including iPSC-based assays. Competes with Clyde in cardiac safety screening within a broader toxicology portfolio.
- Charles River Laboratories: Large global CRO offering Safety Pharmacology including cardiac safety and in vitro cardiovascular services. Clyde's Chair Alan Johnston previously ran Inveresk Research which became part of Charles River, and Charles River is a scaled incumbent with overlapping capabilities.
- Labcorp Drug Development (formerly Covance): Global CRO with preclinical safety and cardiac safety assessment capabilities. Labcorp competes with Clyde for pharma safety pharmacology work as part of a much broader service portfolio.
- Eurofins Scientific: International bioanalytical and safety testing group. Eurofins offers cardiac safety and cell-based assay services across multiple geographies, providing scaled competition for Clyde.
Emerging players
- Axol Bioscience: UK-based hiPSC-derived cell provider (cardiomyocytes, neurons, etc.) with emerging service offerings. Overlaps with Clyde in hiPSC cardiomyocyte sourcing and cardiac assay services for drug discovery.
- Fujifilm Cellular Dynamics (FCDI): Major supplier of iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes (iCell) and increasingly offering cardiac safety assay services. Overlaps with Clyde as both a cell provider and emerging CRO competitor in cardiac safety.
- ReproCELL (now part of Axol Bioscience / Stemgent): Stem cell technology and CRO services company where Clyde's Chief Business Officer Dr. Mark Bryant helped develop the first hiPS cardiomyocytes. ReproCELL provides cardiac and neural cell-based services overlapping with Clyde's offering.
- AnaBios: US-based CRO specialising in human tissue-based cardiac safety and pain research. AnaBios competes with Clyde in human-relevant cardiac safety assessment for pharma and biotech.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Clyde Biosciences social profiles
Digital presenceClyde Biosciences compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
Clyde Biosciences financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Clyde Biosciences leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
Clyde Biosciences funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Clyde Biosciences M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Clyde Biosciences
What does Clyde Biosciences do?
Clyde Biosciences is a contract research organization (CRO) that provides cardiac safety and efficacy testing services to pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies using its proprietary CellOPTIQ® platform, which simultaneously measures voltage, calcium, and contractility in hiPSC-derived and adult cardiomyocytes. The company delivers FDA-validated CiPA assays, mechanistic cardiovascular toxicity studies, heart failure efficacy testing, primary screening, hiPSC characterisation, voltage/calcium/contractility assays, in silico modelling, and custom R&D services. Customers engage Clyde through direct enterprise sales for project-based contracts, with most standard studies completed within two weeks.
Is Clyde Biosciences a public or private company?
Clyde Biosciences is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Clyde Biosciences founded?
Clyde Biosciences was founded in 2012. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Clyde Biosciences based?
Clyde Biosciences is headquartered in Newhouse, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Clyde Biosciences make money?
One revenue line is on record: contract Research Services (CRO).
Who are Clyde Biosciences's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Metrion Biosciences and Ncardia. Broad incumbents are Cyprotex (an Evotec company), Charles River Laboratories, Labcorp Drug Development (formerly Covance) and Eurofins Scientific. Emerging players are Axol Bioscience, Fujifilm Cellular Dynamics (FCDI), ReproCELL (now part of Axol Bioscience / Stemgent) and AnaBios.
Does Clyde Biosciences have an API?
No public API is recorded for Clyde Biosciences.
What industry is Clyde Biosciences in?
Clyde Biosciences's product category is Cardiac Safety Contract Research Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAGAAAJ, Imaging & Cardiac Safety Core Labs (ECOG/EEG/ECG), with a secondary code of HLAGAAAB, Preclinical CROs (Discovery/Pharmacology/DMPK). Its NAICS code is 5417 and its SIC code is 8731.