What ApconiX does

ApconiX is a privately-held, UK-based nonclinical drug safety consultancy founded in July 2015 by Prof Ruth Roberts, Dr Richard Knight and Dr Michael Morton in the wake of AstraZeneca's closure of its Alderley Park R&D site. The firm is headquartered at Alderley Park (Cheshire) and operates a wholly-owned Swedish subsidiary, ApconiX AB, at the BioVentureHub in Gothenburg; it employs more than 100 scientists and markets over 500 years of combined drug discovery and development experience across all major safety disciplines.

The company is organised around three service pillars. Toxicology and DMPK Consultancy covers drug project toxicology, drug metabolism and pharmacokinetics, study monitoring, due diligence, inhalation toxicology, genetic and reproductive toxicology, safety and secondary pharmacology, immunotoxicology, medical device biocompatibility, and OEL/PDE calculations. Ion Channel Screening is delivered from the firm's own laboratory and includes cardiac safety assays (hERG and full CiPA panels on QPatch II, Patchliner, and Axion BioSystems Maestro Pro platforms), the proprietary iSLA in vitro Seizure Liability Assay, and in silico cardiac safety modelling aligned with ICH E14/S7B Q&A. Safety Science encompasses Acuity AI-supported Target Safety Assessments, weight-of-evidence evaluations, and data science services spanning predictive toxicology, chemoinformatics, and safety informatics.

ApconiX generates revenue through quote-based, project- and retainer-style professional services engagements ranging from short consulting hours to multi-year programme support. Customers are primarily small-to-mid-size biotechnology and large biopharmaceutical companies, with academia as a secondary segment, served through direct sales and CRO alliance channels; 60% of work is delivered to clients outside the UK across more than 30 countries. Named customers include Gilead Sciences, Sanofi and Bugworks Research, and the firm has received the Queen's Award for Enterprise for International Trade (2022), the King's Award for Enterprise for International Trade, and the King's Award for Enterprise for Innovation (2025), among other recognitions.

Name

ApconiX

Legal name

ApconiX Ltd.

Website

https://apconix.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ApconiX is a UK-based nonclinical drug safety consultancy, founded in 2015, that delivers toxicology, DMPK, ion channel screening, and AI-supported target safety assessment services to biotech, biopharma, and academic clients across more than 30 countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonclinical Drug Safety Consulting

NAICS

Testing Laboratories and Services (54138), Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (541690)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Services-Testing Laboratories (8734)

akta.pro primary industry

Toxicology & Safety Assessment CROs (GLP) (HLAGAAAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Safety Pharmacology (Cardio/CNS/Respiratory) (HLAGAFAB), Regulatory Strategy & IND/NDA/BLA Submissions Support (HLAIALAH), Nonclinical Study Management & Regulatory Writing (IND-enabling) (HLAGAFAN)

Keywords

• Drug safety consulting
• Nonclinical toxicology services
• Ion channel screening
• Target safety assessment
• DMPK consultancy

Headquarters

HQ city

Macclesfield

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Toxicology and DMPK Consultancy: Flexible consulting services providing access to experienced nonclinical safety scientists for drug discovery and development projects. Services include study design, CRO selection, study monitoring, regulatory document authoring, and expert toxicology advice. Works with discovery and development teams from project initiation through to worldwide marketing approval.
2. Ion Channel Screening Services: Laboratory services for cardiac and CNS ion channel screening including hERG screening, CiPA assays, and seizure liability assessment. Turnaround times of 4 days for hERG and 14 days for CiPA screening.
3. Safety Science and Target Safety Assessments: Acuity TSAs combining AI technology with expert toxicologist interpretation, Weight of Evidence assessments, and data science services for biodata analysis and predictive toxicology.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

ApconiX provides expert nonclinical drug safety consultancy and laboratory-based ion channel screening services to biotech, biopharma, and academic clients worldwide. Its portfolio spans Drug Project Toxicology, DMPK Project Support, specialist toxicology disciplines (inhalation, genetic, reproductive, immunotoxicology, medical devices), cardiac and CNS ion channel screening, in silico cardiac safety modelling, and AI-supported Target Safety Assessments. Services range from brief consultations to multi-year project support covering the full drug development lifecycle from target identification through regulatory submissions.

Product overview

ApconiX is a nonclinical safety consultancy offering integrated toxicology, DMPK, ion channel screening, and safety science services. The portfolio comprises three interconnected service pillars: (1) Toxicology and DMPK Consultancy covering Drug Project Toxicology, DMPK Project Support, Toxicology Specialists, Study Monitoring, Due Diligence, and specialty services (Inhalation, Genetic, Reproductive, Safety Pharmacology, Immunotoxicology, Medical Devices, OELs/PDEs); (2) Ion Channel Screening encompassing Cardiac Liability (hERG/CiPA), CNS Liability (iLA panels), Additional Capabilities, and In Silico Cardiac Safety Modelling; and (3) Safety Science delivering Acuity Target Safety Assessments, Drug Safety, Data Science, and Weight of Evidence assessments. The company operates its own ion channel laboratory and has developed proprietary offerings including the iSLA in vitro Seizure Liability Assay.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Acuity Target Safety Assessments (TSAs): AI-assisted target safety assessment products combining public domain information with expert toxicologist interpretation to identify key risks by organ/tissue.
• iSLA
• iSLA in vitro Seizure Liability Assay

Products and services

• Drug Project Toxicology Expert toxicology consultancy covering drug discovery and development phases including experimental strategy design, target safety assessments, GLP regulatory studies, and regulatory document authoring for IMPD, IB, CTA, and NDA/MAA/JNDA submissions.
• DMPK Project Support Drug metabolism and pharmacokinetics consultancy supporting strategic DMPK approach implementation, compound optimization, dose prediction, PBPK/PKPD modeling, IVIVC, and clinical pharmacology support.
• Toxicology Specialists World-leading toxicology expertise covering reproductive/paediatric, general, genetic, investigative toxicology, safety pharmacology, immunotoxicology, study monitoring, and PDE/OEL calculations.
• Nonclinical Study Monitoring Independent study placement and monitoring service including CRO selection, study design input, oversight of in-life phases, and draft report review for scientific and regulatory rigor.
• Due Diligence Expert technical appraisal of nonclinical safety and DMPK data for licensing deals, including critical review, data authenticity evaluation, and detailed risk reports.
• Inhalation Toxicology Specialist consultancy for inhaled therapies covering aerosol characterization, study design, CRO selection, and monitoring for First in Human through registration phases for small molecules and biologics.
• Genetic Toxicology Expert guidance on assessing DNA mutations and chromosomal damage from early screening through regulatory assays, including follow-on mechanistic studies and ICH/OECD guideline compliance.
• Reproductive Toxicology Specialist reproductive and developmental toxicology services including juvenile studies, Paediatric Investigation Plan (PIP) authoring, and regulatory agency interactions.
• Safety and Secondary Pharmacology Safety pharmacology study design and interpretation for core organ systems (cardiovascular, respiratory, CNS), plus in vitro secondary pharmacology screening for off-target activity identification.
• Immunotoxicology Assessment of immune system role in drug safety across small molecules, biologicals, and novel therapies, including immuno-oncology agents, immunogenicity, hypersensitivity reactions, and biomarker strategies.
• Medical Devices Biological and chemical safety testing guidance for medical device biocompatibility, including ISO 10993 series compliance, biological risk assessments, and toxicological risk assessments.
• OELs and PDEs Occupational Exposure Limit (OEL) and Permitted Daily Exposure (PDE) assessments written by expert toxicologists using NOAEL-based calculations per ICH and EMA guidelines.
• Cardiac Liability (hERG/CiPA) Ion channel screening for cardiac safety including hERG screening, CiPA paradigm testing (hERG, hNav1.5, hCav1.2, hKir2.1, hKv4.3, hKvLQT1), and hiPSC-cardiomyocyte MEA assays using QPatch II, Patchliner, and Maestro Pro platforms.
• CNS Liability (iLA Panels) In vitro CNS liability screening with a 15-ion channel panel (Nav1.1, Nav1.2, Nav1.6, Kv1.1, Kv2.1, Kv3.1, Kv4.2, Kv7.2/7.3, Kv7.3/7.5, KCa1.1, KCa4.1, Cav2.1, GABA α1β2γ2, NMDA 1/2A, Nicotinic α4β2, TREK1) and microelectrode array assay using human iPSC-derived neuronal co-cultures.
• Additional Ion Channel Capabilities Manual patch-clamp services, recovery from block measurements for sodium channels with Vaughan-Williams classification, and sustainability initiatives including assay-ready cells and FBS reduction in cell culture.
• In Silico Cardiac Safety Modelling Computational modeling service transforming ion channel IC50 data into mechanistic pro-arrhythmia risk assessments using O'Hara-Rudy human ventricular myocyte models to predict TdP risk including qNet and APD90 metrics, aligned with 2022 ICH E14/S7B Q&A guidelines.
• Acuity Target Safety Assessments (TSAs) AI-supported toxicology reports analyzing target homology, gene/protein expression, transgenic and mutation phenotypes to identify key safety risks by organ/tissue, including embedded PowerPoint summaries.
• Data Science Biodata analytics including safety informatics, predictive toxicology, chemoinformatics, target conservation and structural analysis, translational off-target safety, NGS data analysis, and systematic text mining.
• Weight of Evidence (WoE) Approach Structured data integration service for science-based decisions including carcinogenicity assessment, DART WoE, and paediatric safety studies compliant with ICH guidelines.
• iSLA in vitro Seizure Liability Assay Proprietary integrated in vitro screening approach for seizure liability assessment using microelectrode array (MEA) technology with human-derived neuronal stem cells and a 15-CNS-ion-channel panel, developed over three years and launched in July 2022.

Quantifiable outcome

• 4-day average turnaround for hERG screening data
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability6 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Axion BioSystemscoreTechnology or IntegrationApconiX uses Axion BioSystems' Maestro Pro MEA assay system for cardiotoxicity and seizure liability assays. The partnership enables investigation of potential cardiotoxicity in hiPSC-cardiomyocytes and CNS activity assessment using human iPSC-neuronal co-cultures.
• Key International CROscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorApconiX has formed alliances with key international and global Contract Research Organisations (CROs) to provide comprehensive services on behalf of clients. They work with CROs for GLP toxicology studies, inhalation toxicology studies, and other specialized testing.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Cyprotex (Evotec): An Evotec-owned contract research organization specializing in ADME/DMPK, in silico modeling, and in vitro safety pharmacology including cardiac (hERG) and CNS profiling. Highly comparable to Apconix's DMPK + ion channel screening offering and to Acuity TSAs.
• Sequani: UK-based preclinical contract research organization with a similar legacy AstraZeneca heritage and a broad nonclinical safety portfolio spanning general toxicology, safety pharmacology, reproductive toxicology, and genetic toxicology. Direct comparability comes from an overlapping service catalog and a comparable UK/European client base of biotech and biopharma sponsors.
• Concept Life Sciences: UK-based drug discovery and nonclinical safety CRO offering integrated chemistry, biology, DMPK, and safety pharmacology services to biotech and pharma. Comparability flows from a similar UK footprint, integrated nonclinical offering, and primary customer base of small and mid-sized biotech.
• Reaction Biology Corp. Specialty contract research organization focused on cardiac safety (hERG, CiPA ion channels), target safety, and custom assay panels. Highly comparable to Apconix's ion channel screening and target safety assessment service lines with similar mid-sized CRO economics.
• Bionova Scientific: Preclinical CRO providing biosafety testing, cell line characterization, and viral clearance services. Comparable as a small-to-mid CRO in the nonclinical safety space serving biotech and gene therapy developers, with a similar boutique consulting-plus-lab-services model.
• Gentronix Limited: UK-based genetic toxicology and safety screening CRO with proprietary toxicology assays (e.g., GreenScreen HC, BlueScreen HC). Comparable because it serves the same biotech and large pharma safety assessment market with boutique specialty services from a similar UK base.

Broad incumbents

• Eurofins Discovery: Major CRO network providing nonclinical DMPK, safety pharmacology, and toxicology services globally. Overlaps with Apconix's screening and consultancy offerings but operates at a meaningfully larger scale, often as a competitor for outsourced nonclinical packages.
• Pharmaron: Global CRO with integrated drug discovery, DMPK, safety pharmacology, and toxicology capabilities. A broad incumbent competitor for integrated nonclinical safety work, particularly for biotech and larger pharma clients of Apconix.
• Labcorp Drug Development (Covance): One of the world's largest nonclinical and clinical CROs, providing full safety assessment, regulatory toxicology, and bioanalytical services. Comparable as the broad incumbent covering overlapping services (cardiac safety, DMPK, regulatory submissions) that biotech and large pharma may use as a substitute for Apconix.
• Charles River Laboratories: Global preclinical CRO with strong safety assessment, cardiovascular safety (hERG/CiPA), and ion channel services via the former Citoxlab. A broad incumbent with deep overlap to Apconix's cardiac and CNS liability offerings, serving the same biotech and biopharma customer base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ApconiXLtd
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/apconix

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about ApconiX