Welcome to Retroscreen

Retroscreen Virology has developed a business system with two principal units. The first is a Clinical Services business built around Human Viral Challenge Model and the second is a Translational Research (Pre-Clinical) business, built around in-house expertise on testing antivirals and virucidals in-vitro.

The team at Retroscreen Virology are committed to creating the next generation of drugs and vaccines for a number of respiratory diseases.

Viral Challenge Model (VCM)

We are the only company in the world dedicated to the conduct of Human Viral Challenge Model (also known as the VCM), a model which we have pioneered this century. These studies take place in the company’s unique, purpose-built, quarantine unit located in London. The Human VCM enables pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, as well as world leading academic groups, to accelerate and reduce the cost of bringing anti-viral drugs, diagnostics, and vaccines to market.

In Human Viral Challenge studies, healthy volunteers are isolated in our specialist facility and are infected with a suitable respiratory virus, which is manufactured according to the highest pharmaceutical standards. They are then observed for 10 to 15 days. During this time, they may be treated with a new drug candidate, or may have already been given a new vaccine. In addition, the company often works on virus-only research programmes with the intention of simply understanding how a virus and the human body interact - such research could lead to exciting new discoveries.

Conducting the Human Viral Challenge Model in a controlled quarantine environment allows for a superior study design; this is more cost-effective and critically accelerates the selection of a safe and effective dose, and dosing regimen, for a new antiviral drug or vaccine. We currently conduct and co-ordinate multiple clinical trials per year. To date, we have performed over 40 individual quarantines across 20 clinical studies, in which we have inoculated over 800 volunteers. In this century, our experience in this field is unparalleled.

We believe that the Human Viral Challenge Model is a superior alternative to early stage, field-based trials, and could provide important guidance in designing the large-scale licensing studies that are required to move forward

To find out more about the services Retroscreen Virology provides, contact us on 020 7756 1300 and ask for Dr. Ian Meikle, Business Development Director.

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