A UK biotech company has launched what it describes as a world‑first platform of lab‑grown human muscle designed to give drug developers earlier, more accurate insights into how new medicines will behave in patients.
Myomaker Bio, a spin‑out from Loughborough University, is scaling its bioengineered human muscle technology to support pharmaceutical and biotech companies seeking faster and more reliable preclinical testing without the need for animal studies. Its team of scientists and researchers, described as world‑leaders in muscle biology, has created human muscle tissues and organs that replicate the structure and function of real skeletal muscle.
The platforms allow researchers to study human muscle biology, injury, regeneration and drug response in a controlled laboratory setting. According to the company, they offer a more predictive way to assess how medicines will perform before entering clinical trial.
Professor Mark Lewis, who co‑founded Myomaker Bio and recently left the University to become full‑time CEO, said: “Drug development remains slow, expensive and heavily dependent on animal testing, which doesn’t always predict human outcomes. Our human muscle platforms are designed to bridge that gap.
“As pharmaceutical companies search for more effective and ethical research models, human tissue platforms such as ours could transform the preclinical testing landscape.
“By recreating human muscle biology in the laboratory, we can give drug developers a far more accurate way to evaluate medicines earlier in the development process. Ultimately, this means safer treatments reaching patients faster while reducing the need for animal testing.”
Now based in London laboratory facilities, the company is preparing for rapid scale‑up after securing £325,000 investment from SFC Capital to accelerate development and commercialisation. The funding will support expansion of its scientific team, increased production of its muscle models and deeper partnerships with global drug developers.
The technology builds on more than 50 years of combined research, with the scientific team having secured more than £37 million in funding and published over 100 peer‑reviewed papers.
Professor Dan Parsons, Pro Vice‑Chancellor for Research and Innovation at Loughborough University, said: “This is an exciting moment for Myomaker Bio. The team’s pioneering work in engineered human muscle systems is opening entirely new possibilities for safer, faster and more human‑relevant drug discovery. This investment will accelerate their journey from breakthrough science to real‑world impact.”
