History

Biomodels was founded in 1997 when Dr. Edward Fey, then employed by Brigham and Women’s Hospital’s Office of Technology Transfer, Dr. Stephen T. Sonis, and Harry Barnett recognized that in many instances pharmaceutical companies made the transition from the laboratory to the clinic based largely on faith, rather than on results obtained in sound, predictive models of the intended clinical application.

Dr. Fey, himself a founder of a successful cancer diagnostic company, and Dr. Sonis realized that many of the models used by Brigham investigators could be adapted for drug development and modified to focus on clinical endpoints. With the Brigham’s blessing, and using models developed by Dr. Stephen Sonis for the study of cancer therapy-induced mucosal injury as a prototype, the company was started. The initial strategy of providing studies through CRO partners soon proved unrealistic as study demand outstripped capacity and so in 1999, the company obtained its own vivarium and laboratory space.

As the company has grown over the past 20 years, Biomodels has expanded its personnel, space, and scope of studies. In 2005, Biomodels moved to its current location in Watertown, MA. The new location allowed for rapid expansion. In 2012 Daniel Lichtman joined Biomodels as Managing Partner and shortly thereafter, then Director of Research Dr. Gregory D. Lyng also became a partner. That same year the company added a second floor to the facility, effectively doubling in size. Three years later, another expansion was needed and so an additional 8,000 square feet of laboratory space was added. The current 20,000 plus square foot facility supports multiple vivaria, a germ-free/gnotobiotic suite, multiple procedure rooms, tissue culture and in vitro laboratories and professional space. Our AALAC accredited state-of-the-art facility enhances our ability to continue to develop a wide range of models in oncology, cancer supportive care, mucosal and inflammatory diseases, cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, behavioral testing, in vitro services and genomics, and most importantly provides an effective and supportive research environment for our professional and technical staff to work in assisting our clients. The changes continue even today, as the commitment to innovation means that Biomodels is constantly updating instrumentation, techniques, and space to ensure client studies are conducted with the best tools available.