Selvita has become the first contract research organisation (CRO) to license the Chemical Protein Stability Assay (CPSA), a patented technology developed by Medicines Discovery Catapult (MDC) to assess target engagement across the drug discovery process.

Target engagement—the interaction between a drug and its intended protein target—is a critical factor in early drug development. MDC’s CPSA provides insight into this relationship, helping researchers confirm a candidate’s mechanism of action and enabling faster, more confident progression through screening and optimisation phases.

Unlike conventional multi-step assays, CPSA uses a simplified single-plate format designed to reduce variability and improve throughput. It relies on cell lysates, removing the need for complex purification and enabling researchers to assess proteins in a more native biological context.

Selvita will integrate the CPSA into its early discovery screening cascades. The CRO, which offers integrated drug discovery and development services, aims to use the assay to support hit identification and hit-to-lead screening with improved scalability and robustness.

Dr Francesca Sadler, chief commercial officer at Medicines Discovery Catapult, said: “We welcome Selvita as the first CRO to license our exciting CPSA technology and look forward to working with them to deploy it into their high-throughput workflows and generate decision-making data. The CPSA is the first technology MDC has patented, and we are delighted to provide this additional tool for drug discovery innovators to overcome some of the barriers in early-stage drug discovery. In doing so, MDC is helping to drive productivity and impact, accelerating the path to commercial success and getting more medicines to patients faster.”

The patented assay can be configured to a range of protein targets and adapted to different endpoint technologies, depending on the required analysis throughput. This flexibility makes CPSA suitable for both high-throughput early-stage screening and later-stage validation studies.

Dr Paul Overton, chief commercial officer at Selvita, said: “We are really excited by this novel technology and what it can deliver for our customers. This agreement reflects Selvita’s continued focus on expanding our scientific toolkit to better support our partners at the earliest stages of drug discovery. By integrating a robust, scalable target engagement assay into our screening platform, we’re helping customers make confident, data-driven decisions as they advance new therapeutic programs.”