Strategic expansion into cardiac drug discovery strengthens bit.bio's human cell portfolio for research into cardiovascular disease and drug safety
New, exclusive partnership with myriamed marks bit.bio’s expansion into cardiovascular disease and drug testing
Cryopreserved, off-the-shelf cells give researchers immediate access to human cell models that better reflect responses of native human heart tissue, without lengthy in-house differentiation protocols
bit.bio now provides researchers with human-relevant cell models across three major organ systems (heart, liver and central nervous system (CNS)) commonly assessed for drug safety and toxicity
Cambridge, UK – 23rd September 2026: bit.bio, the Cambridge-based pioneer in human cell programming, has announced a partnership with German biotechnology company myriamed. This partnership brings together two companies with a shared commitment to advancing human-relevant research and drug discovery by making high-quality, functional human heart cells more accessible to researchers.
The expansion of bit.bio’s portfolio to include human iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes alongside the recent launch of ioHepatocytes product and existing neural cells means that bit.bio now provides access across three major organ systems commonly assessed for drug safety and toxicity (heart, liver and CNS).
Cardiotoxicity and drug-induced liver toxicity (DILI) are among the primary drivers of drug candidate attrition, fuelled by an early reliance on non-predictive in vitro models. Current models used, such as animals or immortalised cell lines, do not reflect true human cardiac biology, differing in baseline heart rate and ion channel composition, or lacking contractile activity entirely. The inability to accurately predict human responses is driving an industry-wide transition toward incorporating translational models earlier in the discovery pipeline. By democratising access to robust, functional human iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes, researchers can readily adopt physiologically relevant models to more effectively identify unviable drug candidates.
Through the new partnership, bit.bio will leverage myriamed’s decade-long cardiac specialisation and expertise in 3D tissue modelling to exclusively offer cryopreserved human iPSC-derived ventricular and atrial cardiomyocytes. The portfolio will also include a specific disease model for dilated cardiomyopathy and real-time reporter cardiac cells that support phenotypic screening. This entire suite will also be available for use in bit.bio’s CRISPR screening services.
myriamed's genetically matched disease models also allow researchers to study cardiomyopathies and inherited arrhythmic conditions. Its cryopreserved cardiomyocytes can be used in customers' own 3D applications, such as engineered heart tissue, supporting chronic dosing and longer-term studies that 2D monolayers cannot capture.
“By bringing myriamed’s cardiomyocytes into bit.bio’s portfolio, we’re providing researchers with the cells they need to model cardiomyopathy, and use across applications ranging from 2D screening to 3D models, or run a safety screen, all in the same physiologically-relevant background.” said bit.bio CEO Dr Emma Pepperell.
“Partnerships such as this can help accelerate the pharmaceutical industry’s shift towards more predictive, human-relevant approaches to drug development. This ultimately helps get better drugs to patients faster while reducing reliance on animal testing.”
The cardiomyocytes are supplied in a cryopreserved, ready-to-plate format, giving researchers immediate access to functional cells and avoiding the need for lengthy in-house differentiation protocols. They exhibit robust cardiac phenotypes, including spontaneous, synchronous beating within seven days post-thaw. Because all cells in the suite are derived from the same donor background, they provide a genetically matched system ideal for studying the disease phenotypes of dilated cardiomyopathy, or for conducting comparative, chamber-specific atrial and ventricular studies.
Together, these products support the pharmaceutical industry's ongoing transition towards more human-relevant testing methodologies, in line with modern regulatory frameworks such as the FDA Modernization Act 2.0.
“We are excited about the partnership with bit.bio. With our complementary expertise, built on decades of fundamental research, we are well prepared to serve customers from academia and industry. Our priority has always been the quality of human cell and tissue models, which we are now rolling out to the global drug discovery space.” said Prof. Wolfram-Hubertus Zimmermann, founder of myriamed GmbH.
Find out more about myrCell Cardiomyocytes
“By bringing myriamed’s cardiomyocytes into bit.bio’s portfolio, we’re providing researchers with the cells they need to model cardiomyopathy, and use across applications ranging from 2D screening to 3D models, or run a safety screen, all in the same physiologically-relevant background.”
Emma Pepperell, PhD CEO, bit.bio
“We are excited about the partnership with bit.bio. With our complementary expertise, built on decades of fundamental research, we are well prepared to serve customers from academia and industry. Our priority has always been the quality of human cell and tissue models, which we are now rolling out to the global drug discovery space.”
Prof. Wolfram-Hubertus Zimmermann, PhD Founder, myriamed