Diagnostic Research Laboratory

What Diagnostic Research Laboratory does

Diagnostic Research Laboratory (DRL) is a privately held, founder-led clinical research organization founded in 2016 and headquartered in Agoura Hills, California, that supplies pharmaceutical and biotechnology R&D teams with human biospecimens, patient-derived primary cell lines, 3D tumor organoid models, and GLP-aligned preclinical research services. The company's foundational asset is a biobank of 50,000+ well-characterized cases sourced from 33 hospitals and 18 clinics across four continents, with paired clinical metadata and consent for commercial use, supported by laboratories in the United States (Agoura Hills, San Diego, Los Angeles) and Europe (Ukraine, Lithuania) and representative offices in Bulgaria and Poland. DRL operates three product lines: the Biobank (biospecimens, primary cell lines, and biosamples including rare nosologies), the Bio-Verify Platform (GLP-aligned assay services spanning compound screening, immune profiling, biomarker and protein analysis, genomic analysis, and invasiveness/metastasis testing), and the emerging LelekaBio™ AI-powered predictive oncology platform that integrates patient-derived 3D tumor models with multi-omics data to simulate drug response and resistance before clinical trials.

DRL monetizes through three revenue streams: unit-based sales of biospecimen and primary cell products, project-based professional services for GLP-aligned assay work, and a SaaS subscription for the LelekaBio platform (currently in early access). Pricing is quote-based and varies by disease type, quantity, and format, with multi-year procurement contracts for prospective custom collections. The company sells directly to enterprise pharmaceutical and biotech clients through a consultative, sales-led motion involving scientific team engagement, demo requests, and study planning. Notable named customers include Regeneron, Merck, Roche, Bristol Myers Squibb, AbbVie, Personalis, Veracyte, Sana Biotechnology, and Bio-Rad Laboratories, spanning large pharma, oncology biotech, diagnostics, and life sciences tools. Technology differentiators include patient-derived tumor organoids with >90% drug response correlation versus matched in vivo models, hTERT-based immortalization of primary cell lines, and end-to-end chain-of-custody traceability documented for IND-enabling workflows.

The company is led by Founder and CEO Sergiy Revin (MD, MBA), a 20-year pharma veteran with prior roles at Merck, Boehringer Ingelheim, and Abbott/Solvay, and COO Jackie Zou (Wharton MBA, Stanford BA), formerly VP of Innovation & Strategy at a listed diagnostics company. Scientific leadership includes Lead Scientist Alexander Deneka (MD, PhD), with bioinformatics and SaaS product functions headed by Adam Karami and Luda Shashua respectively. DRL operates without disclosed external institutional funding or a parent company, appears to be bootstrapped or self-funded, and claims a global footprint across North America, Europe, Asia, and Africa through its hospital sourcing network.

Name

Diagnostic Research Laboratory

Legal name

Diagnostic Research Laboratory

Website

https://drlus.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

DRL is a private, founder-led clinical research organization that supplies pharmaceutical and biotech R&D teams with patient-derived 3D tumor organoids, primary cell lines, human biospecimens, and GLP-aligned preclinical assay services, supported by a developing AI predictive oncology platform called LelekaBio.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Oceanside

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Biobank Products: Sale of human biospecimens including organoids, primary cell lines, and tissue samples. Products ship with clinical metadata and QC documentation. Pricing varies by disease type, quantity, and format.
2. Assay Services: GLP-aligned preclinical research services including drug screening, immune profiling, biomarker analysis, and genomic analysis. Services are project-based with study plans matched to client timelines.
3. LelekaBio SaaS Platform: AI-powered predictive analytics platform for oncology drug discovery. Cloud-based access with secure API or portal. Early access program available.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

DRL supplies pharmaceutical and biotech R&D teams with patient-derived biospecimens (3D tumor organoids, primary cell lines, FFPE/fresh/frozen tissue, biofluids) sourced from a global hospital network, alongside GLP-aligned preclinical assay services for drug screening, immune profiling, biomarker analysis, and genomic studies. The company layers a SaaS-based AI predictive oncology platform (LelekaBio) on top of its biological data to simulate drug response and resistance before clinical trials.

Product overview

DRL offers an integrated portfolio of human-relevant biospecimen products and GLP-aligned preclinical services. The core Biobank provides 3D organoid models, primary cell lines, and biosamples sourced from a global hospital network. The Bio-Verify Platform delivers assay services including compound screening, immune profiling, and multi-omics analysis. The LelekaBio AI platform sits atop this biological data infrastructure, offering predictive oncology analytics through a SaaS application layer powered by proprietary ML models trained on patient-derived tumor data.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• LelekaBio™: AI-powered predictive oncology platform that integrates patient-derived 3D tumor models with AI to simulate drug response and resistance before clinical trials.

Products and services

• Biobank Portfolio of human biospecimens including 3D organoid models, primary cell lines (tumor cells, CAFs, TILs, normal fibroblasts), and biosamples (FFPE, fresh-frozen, plasma, biofluids, PBMCs) sourced from 33 hospitals and 18 clinics across 4 continents, intended for pharmaceutical and biotech R&D teams.
• Bio-Verify Platform GLP-aligned preclinical research services platform offering drug screening, functional assays, molecular profiling, and biomarker discovery and validation on human-derived tumor models, documented for IND-enabling workflows. For pharmaceutical and biotech drug development teams.
• LelekaBio Predictive Oncology Platform AI-powered predictive oncology platform integrating patient-derived 3D tumor models with multi-omics data to simulate drug response and resistance before clinical trials. Includes SaaS application layer, AI/ML model layer, and proprietary biological data layer, with a digital twin engine for tumor drug response prediction. For pharma, biotech, and computational biology teams in oncology.
• Custom Immortalization Services Custom immortalization services for primary-derived cell lines using hTERT (human Telomerase Reverse Transcriptase) transfection technology to extend replicative lifespan while preserving original cell characteristics. For pharma and biotech researchers needing long-lived primary cell lines.
• Patient-Derived Tumor Organoids (PDTOs) Three-dimensional cultures built directly from patient tumor tissue that retain cellular architecture, genetic diversity, and drug response behavior of the original tumor. Used for drug sensitivity screening, biomarker validation, co-culture assays, and personalized oncology research; >90% drug response correlation versus matched in vivo models.
• Primary-Derived Cell Lines Low-passage tumor cell lines, CAFs, TILs, and normal fibroblasts derived directly from patient tumors. Biomarker-authenticated, mycoplasma-free, available across 30+ cancer types with matched metadata, shipped ready for assay. For pharma, biotech, and academic researchers.

Quantifiable outcome

• >90% drug response correlation with matched in vivo models
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability4 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• RegeneroncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPharmaceutical partner using DRL's human biospecimens and services for target validation projects. Customer relationship with confirmed testimonials from Principal Scientist.
• MerckcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal pharmaceutical company utilizing DRL's biobank and preclinical services for translational research and drug discovery.
• RochecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal pharmaceutical partner using DRL's human-derived models for biomarker studies and efficacy testing in oncology.
• Bristol Myers SquibbcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPharmaceutical partner utilizing DRL's patient-derived models for preclinical efficacy testing and translational research.
• PersonaliscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDiagnostics company using DRL's sample acquisition services. VP of Assay Development confirmed as preferred vendor for sample needs.
• Sana BiotechnologyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBiotechnology partner using DRL's services for cell therapy research and preclinical development.
• VeracyteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGenomic diagnostics company partnering with DRL for genomic analysis and cancer diagnostics research.
• AbbViecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPharmaceutical partner using DRL's oncology models and services for drug discovery and development programs.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves16 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Crown Bioscience: Crown Bioscience is a leading global CRO specializing in patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models, organoids, and preclinical oncology services for pharma R&D. Directly comparable to DRL given its patient-derived model portfolio and enterprise pharma customer base, though with a broader PDX-heavy historical focus and larger scale.
• Discovery Life Sciences: Discovery Life Sciences provides human biospecimens, custom cell isolation, and integrated molecular services to pharma, biotech, and diagnostics clients. Closely comparable to DRL's biobank plus Bio-Verify services model, including GLP-aligned workflows and global hospital sourcing.
• InSphero: InSphero develops 3D organoid and microtissue models for drug discovery and toxicology, with a focus on scalable assay-ready 3D cultures. Directly comparable to DRL's PDTO offering and preclinical assay services, although InSphero emphasizes liver and metabolic disease in addition to oncology.
• BioIVT: BioIVT is a global supplier of human biospecimens, primary cells, and research services to pharma and diagnostics companies. Directly comparable to DRL's biobank and primary cell line business, with similar sourcing networks and enterprise sales motion, though BioIVT is more diversified across therapeutic areas.
• Champions Oncology: Champions Oncology specializes in patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models and tumor biology services for oncology drug development. Directly comparable as a patient-derived model CRO serving pharma R&D, though it is more PDX-centric while DRL emphasizes organoids.

Broad incumbents

• Charles River Laboratories: Charles River is a large, publicly-traded CRO with deep preclinical services, safety assessment, and biologics capabilities. Comparable as a broad incumbent serving the same pharma R&D customers, though it does not specialize in patient-derived organoid models to the same extent as DRL.
• Wuxi AppTec: Wuxi AppTec is a global CRO/CDMO providing preclinical research, biologics, and laboratory testing services across discovery and development. Comparable as a broad incumbent in preclinical CRO services; DRL competes for a portion of the same enterprise pharma preclinical budgets, but with a narrower specialty focus.

Emerging players

• Inotiv: Inotiv is a preclinical CRO providing research models, toxicology, and discovery services to pharma and academic clients. Comparable in the broader preclinical CRO space; overlaps with DRL's drug-screening and biomarker services, though Inotiv is more animal-model-centric.
• Tempus AI: Tempus AI is an AI-powered precision medicine company that combines molecular data, clinical data, and AI to support oncology drug development and clinical decision-making. Comparable to LelekaBio as an AI-for-oncology platform, though Tempus focuses on clinical-stage molecular profiling rather than preclinical patient-derived models.
• Cellaria Biosciences: Cellaria develops patient-derived cancer models, including organoids and 3D cultures, for oncology research and drug screening. Directly comparable to DRL's PDTO offering, with a similar emerging specialty CRO profile serving pharma R&D.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/drlus

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

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 Diagnostic Research Laboratory