Preclinical Animal Models

Study Design to Data Package. One Team, One Deliverable

We design preclinical studies, execute or direct execution across our facility network, control every endpoint, and deliver publication-ready data. Pain, neuropathy, osteoarthritis, infectious disease, and livestock efficacy models, all at BSL-1 and BSL-2.

Your compound deserves a study designed by scientists, not salespeople.

Most contract research organizations run standardized protocols. Your compound isn't standard.

The CRO Black Box

You send compounds to a contract lab, get data back weeks later, and have no visibility into how the study was run. When results don’t make sense, you can’t troubleshoot because you weren’t involved in the design.

The Species Gap

Most CROs do rodents or large animals, not both. If your program needs a mouse efficacy model and a chicken necrotic enteritis model and a goat safety study, you’re managing three vendors with three timelines.

The Endpoint Mismatch

Generic CROs run standard protocols. But your compound might need a custom assessment battery: histopathology endpoints the standard panel doesn’t include, or pain assessment windows tuned to your formulation’s release profile.

How We Work

Every study follows a disciplined process. You approve the protocol before any animal work begins.

1

Design

We review your compound, therapeutic hypothesis, and regulatory requirements. We design the study protocol: species, model, dosing, assessment battery, endpoints, and statistical plan. You approve before we proceed.

2

Execute

In-house rodent and hamster studies at our BSL-1/BSL-2 facility. Poultry and livestock studies directed through our supervised collaborator network, with the same protocol rigor, same endpoint control, same project management.

3

Deliver

Raw data, analyzed results, histopathology reports, and statistical analysis. Publication-ready or submission-ready formatting. We walk you through the results and discuss next steps.

We reproduce published models from the literature and design novel models to your therapeutic hypothesis. If a relevant model exists, or should exist, we can build it.

Model Catalog

Browse our capabilities by therapeutic area. Every model is flexible, adapted to your compound, your endpoints, and your regulatory requirements.

Acute Pain

MiceRats

Validated analgesic screening models covering visceral, chemical, inflammatory, and thermal nociception. Each model is adapted to your compound’s mechanism and formulation.

Acetic Acid Writhing

Visceral pain model: abdominal contractions quantified over a fixed window. Sensitive to a broad range of analgesic agents.

Capsaicin Nociception

Vanilloid receptor activation with neuropeptide release. Complements other acute pain models for multi-mechanism evaluation.

Formalin Nociception

Biphasic response: acute peripheral activation followed by central sensitization. Distinguishes peripheral vs. central analgesic activity.

Tail Immersion

Thermal nociception assay measuring spinal reflex latency. Less influenced by sedation than hot plate methods.

Assessments:Writhing countsLicking/biting responseWithdrawal latency

Neuropathic Pain

MiceRats

Chemical and surgical models of peripheral neuropathy with comprehensive sensory assessment. Translatable to human chemotherapy-induced and traumatic neuropathic pain.

Chemotherapy-Induced Neuropathy

Vincristine, paclitaxel, oxaliplatin, or cisplatin protocols producing mechanical allodynia, cold sensitivity, and coordination deficits.

Sciatic Nerve Ligation

Surgical partial constriction producing mechanical and thermal hypersensitivity. Gold-standard model for neuropathic pain drug evaluation.

Assessments:Von Frey filaments (mechanical allodynia)Hot plate test (thermal nociception)Tail immersion: cold allodyniaTail immersion: heat allodynia

Osteoarthritis

MiceRats

Surgical and chemical OA models with longitudinal pain assessment and comprehensive histological endpoints. Designed for disease-modifying and analgesic compound evaluation.

Partial Medial Meniscectomy (PMM)

Surgical destabilization producing progressive cartilage degeneration. Models post-traumatic OA.

Destabilization of Medial Meniscus (DMM)

Surgical model with slower progression. Preferred for disease-modifying OA drug (DMOAD) evaluation.

Monosodium Iodoacetate (MIA)

Chemical induction with rapid, reproducible joint pathology. Suitable for analgesic and anti-inflammatory screening.

Assessments:Weekly pain scoring (von Frey, hot plate)Joint histology: cartilage, osteophyte, synovial stainingImmunostaining: joint tissue, spinal cord, DRGs

Infectious Disease

MiceHamstersBSL-1 & BSL-2

Published and unpublished infection models for antimicrobial and vaccine efficacy evaluation. We design challenge protocols to your pathogen and therapeutic hypothesis.

Clostridioides difficile

Hamster and mouse models for C. difficile infection, including antibiotic-induced dysbiosis protocols.

Campylobacter

Mouse infection model for Campylobacter colonization and pathogenesis studies.

Shigella

Mouse model for Shigella infection and antimicrobial/vaccine evaluation.

Corynebacterium

Mouse model for Corynebacterium infection studies and therapeutic evaluation.

Gut Dysbiosis Models

Antibiotic-induced dysbiosis for GI infection susceptibility studies and microbiome therapeutic evaluation.

Immune-Suppression + Challenge

Immunocompromised host models for opportunistic infection studies.

Knock-Out Mice

Genetically defined models for mechanistic infectious disease studies.

Assessments:Pathogen burden quantificationSurvival analysisHistopathologyImmune response profiling

Poultry & Livestock

ChickenGoatPig

Efficacy models for animal health therapeutics, probiotics, and nutritional supplements. Conducted through our supervised collaborator network. NexysBio designs the protocol, directs execution, and controls all endpoints.

Necrotic Enteritis

Chicken model for Clostridium perfringens-mediated necrotic enteritis. Therapeutic and prophylactic evaluation.

Coccidiosis

Chicken model for Eimeria challenge. Anticoccidial drug and vaccine efficacy assessment.

Feed Conversion & Growth

Probiotic, prebiotic, and supplement efficacy models measuring feed conversion ratio, weight gain, and gut health markers.

Custom Goat & Pig Models

Large animal models designed to your therapeutic hypothesis. Species selection based on translational relevance.

Assessments:Lesion scoringFeed conversion ratioMortality/morbidityGut histopathology

Custom Model Development

Any available species

Don’t see your model listed? We reproduce published models from the literature and design novel models to your therapeutic hypothesis. If a relevant animal model exists, or should exist, we can build it.

Published Model Reproduction

Send us the paper. We reproduce the model in our facility with the same or adapted endpoints, validated against published results.

Novel Model Design

Your compound targets a pathway with no established model? We design de novo: species selection, induction method, endpoint battery, and statistical plan.

Model Optimization

Existing model not performing? We troubleshoot and refine: dosing windows, assessment timing, endpoint sensitivity, species/strain selection.

Assessments:Defined during study designTailored to your therapeutic hypothesis

One Protocol. One Team. Multiple Facilities.

Your contract is with NexysBio. We own the protocol, the oversight, and the deliverable, regardless of which facility houses the animals.

In-House Capabilities

Rodent and hamster models at our BSL-1 and BSL-2 facility. Full study execution from housing through necropsy and histopathology. Direct oversight at every stage.

MiceRatsHamstersBSL-1BSL-2

Directed Collaborator Studies

Poultry and livestock models conducted by partner facilities under NexysBio-designed protocols. We plan the study, direct execution, specify every endpoint, and take complete supervision of data collection. Collaborators conduct the study the way we design it. They provide the endpoints we seek.

ChickenGoatPigNexysBio-designed protocolsFull supervision

We do not currently operate BSL-3 or BSL-4 facilities. All infectious disease work is conducted under BSL-1 or BSL-2 containment.

Integrated Services

Preclinical models connect to the full NexysBio platform. Formulate your compound, validate your antigen, discover biomarkers, and evaluate PK/PD, all through one team.

Formulate your compound, then test it in our preclinical models. One team, continuous data flow.

Validate computationally predicted epitopes in challenge models with immune response profiling.

Pair preclinical endpoints with multi-omics biomarker panels for mechanistic insight.

PK/PD StudiesComing Soon

Pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic evaluation in validated animal models.

Antimicrobial TestingComing Soon

In-vitro MIC/MBC and susceptibility testing, with compounds validated in our preclinical infection models.

Ready to design your preclinical study?

Tell us about your compound and therapeutic hypothesis. We'll propose a study design, recommend the right models, and give you a timeline and budget.

Or email us directly at info@nexysbio.com