FibroFind is a privately held preclinical CRO founded by Professors Jelena Mann, Derek Mann, Fiona Oakley, and Dr Lee Borthwick — internationally recognised scientists whose academic work at Newcastle University helped establish the scientific foundations of human tissue-based translational research in fibrotic disease. The company is UK-based and serves biopharmaceutical organisations worldwide, with a client base spanning global pharmaceutical companies and emerging biotechs engaged in drug discovery and development programmes targeting chronic organ disease.

The company’s core proposition is the use of precision-cut tissue slices (PCTS) — thin sections of intact, viable human organ tissue — cultured within FibroFind’s patented bioreactor technology to preserve native tissue architecture and cellular function over extended study durations. This approach allows drug candidates to be tested directly in human tissue rather than in cell culture systems, organoids, or animal models, each of which FibroFind positions as insufficiently predictive of clinical outcomes. Human tissue is ethically procured through established clinical partnerships providing liver, kidney, and lung material.

The leadership team combines deep expertise in chronic disease biology, translational science, and human tissue research, supported by operational and commercial specialists. The platform integrates advanced liquid handling robotics and AI-assisted data analysis to deliver reproducible, scalable datasets suitable for supporting high-stakes preclinical decisions, including IND-enabling submissions.

Key Products and Services

Core Research Platform

• Precision-Cut Tissue Slices (PCTS) — ex-vivo human tissue sections prepared from ethically sourced liver, kidney, and lung material, preserving native cellular architecture, extracellular matrix, and multicellular interactions for use in drug response studies
• Proprietary Bioreactor Technology — patented bioreactor systems designed to maintain tissue viability and structural integrity over extended culture periods, enabling controlled, time-course studies in living human tissue
• AI-Powered Data Analysis — computational analysis pipelines supporting high-fidelity, decision-grade data output at scale

Research Applications (Solutions)

• Target Identification and Validation — interrogation of novel therapeutic targets in intact, viable human tissue to generate biological evidence supporting early programme decisions
• Lead Screening and Optimisation — comparative testing and ranking of novel drug candidates to prioritise stronger compounds and reduce preclinical attrition risk prior to progression
• Pharmacology — direct assessment of target engagement in intact human tissue to strengthen the translational rationale behind a programme and support IND-enabling regulatory submissions
• Drug Safety — early identification of tissue toxicity and emerging safety signals in human tissue, enabling weak assets to be identified before progression into formal GLP toxicology studies

Tissue Types and Indications

• Liver — fibrosis, MASH/NASH, chronic liver disease, and hepatotoxicity
• Kidney — renal fibrosis and chronic kidney disease
• Lung — pulmonary fibrosis and chronic lung disease

FibroFind occupies a highly focused niche within the preclinical CRO landscape, addressing a recognised and well-documented shortcoming in conventional drug development: the poor translatability of cell culture and animal model data into clinical outcomes. Its use of intact, viable human tissue as the primary experimental system positions it directly within the growing movement towards human-relevant preclinical models — a scientific priority that has gained significant momentum as the pharmaceutical industry seeks to reduce the high attrition rates associated with translational failure. The academic pedigree of FibroFind’s founders lends scientific credibility that is difficult to replicate and provides a meaningful basis for sponsor confidence in the underlying methodology. For sponsors developing therapeutics in fibrosis, chronic liver disease, renal disease, or pulmonary indications — where animal models are notoriously poor surrogates for human pathophysiology — FibroFind’s platform offers a differentiated and scientifically grounded alternative to conventional preclinical approaches. The company’s combination of proprietary bioreactor infrastructure, established clinical tissue procurement partnerships, and AI-assisted analytics represents a meaningful barrier to entry that reinforces its positioning as a specialist provider rather than a generalist preclinical CRO.