Bit.bio and Myriamed Partnered for Cardiac Research
The companies have joined forces to supply human cardiomyocytes to improve drug discovery and disease modeling.
Updated on Sept. 23, 2026 in Heart Disease
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Cambridge-based Bit.bio and German biotech firm Myriamed announced a partnership to provide cryopreserved human iPSC-derived ventricular and atrial cardiomyocytes. This collaboration aims to enhance drug discovery efforts by offering cardiac cells compatible with advanced 3D tissue modeling and CRISPR screening services.
Why it matters
Drug candidate attrition is frequently driven by cardiotoxicity, yet traditional animal and immortalized cell models often fail to reflect human biology accurately. This partnership addresses these limitations by providing more representative human cardiac tissue for preclinical testing.
The partnership leverages 10 years of cardiac specialization from Myriamed and expands Bit.bio’s drug discovery portfolio to three major organ systems. The new supply includes cryopreserved iPSC-derived ventricular and atrial cardiomyocytes.
The players
Bit.bio
This biotechnology company is based in Cambridge and focuses on cell programming for therapeutic and research applications.
Myriamed
Based in Germany, this biotechnology firm specializes in cardiac tissue engineering and disease modeling.
The details
The collaboration incorporates Myriamed’s expertise in 3D tissue modeling to support a portfolio that includes real-time reporter cardiac cells and a disease model for dilated cardiomyopathy. These human-derived cells are engineered to function in both 2D and 3D applications, providing a more reliable alternative to conventional preclinical screening models.
Timeline
The partnership between Bit.bio and Myriamed was announced on September 23, 2026.
Health Landscape
This partnership mirrors the industry shift toward human-centric preclinical models, following the regulatory path set by the FDA Modernization Act 2.0. By moving away from traditional animal testing, the companies aim to modernize how drug toxicity is measured and mitigated.
By improving the accuracy of preclinical toxicity testing, this technology may help identify unsafe drug candidates earlier in the development cycle. This potentially leads to safer pharmaceutical options for patients living with heart disease or other cardiovascular conditions.
The takeaway
The move toward human-derived iPSC cell models represents a critical step in reducing drug failure rates caused by cardiac side effects. Researchers can now utilize these 3D-compatible tools to create more accurate disease simulations for better drug efficacy testing.
Further reading
Learn more about the latest innovations in Heart Disease research and treatments.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Scientist Live.
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