Accelerate your preclinical drug development program
In Vivo Disease Models
With more than 150 validated animal models (rat and mouse), our catalog boasts wide therapeutic coverage from across 14 therapeutic areas. We also offer custom models, modifications to our existing models, and can even help you replicate models from the literature.
Explore our models or contact us for custom options.
Trusted by the Top Leaders in Pharmacology
Phenotypic screening uncovers otherwise
unpredicted new uses for a drug
In Vivo Services
We offer access to dozens of animal models of human disease. Our commitment to in vivo services since 2005 has made us a CRO of choice for hundreds of companies.
In Vivo Pharmacology Platforms
The theraTRACE® and opioidTRACE® platforms are our phenotypic screening tools for drug repositioning, drug repurposing, and indications discovery.
About Melior
More than just a provider of in vivo pharmacology services, Melior is a pioneer of in vivo phenotypic screening and a leader in the area of drug repositioning.
Its proprietary theraTRACE® platform enables rapid and
cost-effective identification of new therapeutic potential
by systematically screening candidates in a diverse array
of validated in vivo disease models.
Serving the pharma industry since 2005
Thousands of completed studies
Hundreds of compounds evaluated
Dozens of animal models of human disease
“Melior provided State-of-the-art Preclinical Pharmacology Support for a period of nearly a year where a series of in vivo studies were completed on a weekly basis. The staff was extremely user-friendly, and the operational processes were excellent. I can recommend Melior without reservation.”
Richard DiMarchi, PhD
Indiana University, Department of Chemistry
Featured Case Studies
Browse our recent case studies from our collaborative discovery projects.
Recent Studies using Phenotypic Screening
Increasingly, phenotypic screening is being recognized as the best strategy to uncover otherwise unpredicted new uses of therapeutics.
Featured Publications
Browse our recent peer-reviewed publications from our collaborative discovery projects.
Frequently Asked Questions
Melior Discovery is a preclinical in vivo pharmacology contract research organization (CRO) headquartered in Exton, Pennsylvania, and a recognized pioneer of in vivo phenotypic screening. Founded in 2005, Melior evaluates candidate therapeutics in more than 150 validated animal models of human disease, serving global pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies through preclinical efficacy testing, drug repositioning, and phenotypic screening.
Melior provides three core services: (1) in vivo preclinical efficacy testing across 150+ validated disease models spanning 14 therapeutic areas; (2) drug repositioning, or repurposing, to identify new indications for existing and development-stage compounds; and (3) multiplexed animal-model phenotypic screening via the proprietary theraTRACE® platform. Supporting services include pharmacokinetic (PK) evaluation, bioanalytical services, and specialized surgical models.
Melior maintains more than 150 validated rat and mouse models spanning 14 therapeutic areas, including inflammation, immunology, oncology, diabetes and metabolic syndrome, dermatology, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, psychiatric, neurological, and neurodegenerative disorders. Melior also builds custom models, modifies existing ones, and can replicate models from published literature. Browse all in vivo disease models.
In vivo phenotypic screening evaluates a compound’s effects in living animal models of disease without requiring a predetermined target hypothesis. Instead of asking “does this molecule hit the intended target,” phenotypic screening asks “what does this molecule actually do across a range of disease states.” Because it interrogates a fully assembled biological system — complete target systems, pharmacokinetics, and dose-limiting events all present — it captures activity that isolated cell-based assays cannot. Melior pioneered the high-throughput application of this approach, published in Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry and Drug Discovery Today: Therapeutic Strategies.
Drug repositioning (or repurposing) identifies new therapeutic uses for existing or previously developed compounds. Unlike traditional discovery, which starts with a target and designs a molecule, repositioning starts with a compound with known pharmacology and explores new indications. This approach can reduce development time and risk by leveraging existing safety and PK data.
Melior partners with organizations across the full size spectrum from large global pharmaceutical companies to early-stage and virtual biotechs. Its flexible, bespoke in vivo study designs and cost-conscious approach make it a practical fit for emerging companies that need high-quality in vivo data without large internal infrastructure, while its depth and reliability support the rigorous programs of established pharma.
Yes. Melior functions as a complete in vivo pharmacology partner, running studies end to end for companies with limited or no internal lab capacity. From study design through execution and data analysis, Melior’s scientists and interactive project managers manage the work directly, making it possible to generate rigorous preclinical efficacy data without maintaining your own vivarium or animal facility.