Gunsynd Regulatory News (GUN)

Evocutis plc

("the Company")

Evocutis validates anti-ageing LabSkin™ model

New LabSkin™ to assess performance of cosmetic

ingredients and formulations making anti-ageing claims

Evocutis plc (AIM:EVO), the company focussed on advanced laboratory and clinical evaluations of skincare products for the health and cosmetic markets, is pleased to announce completion of R&D and validation of its LabSkin™ full thickness skin model for use in supporting anti-ageing claims.

Validation of the anti-ageing LabSkin™ model will provide the cosmetics industry valuable data for assessing trial endpoints, when testing the activity of their ingredients and products. This data can be obtained prior to expensive human use studies, significantly reducing the risk and timelines associated with traditional product development. Furthermore, users of the anti-ageing LabSkin™ model will be able to benchmark the activity of new ingredients and formulations, against best-in-class products, across several recognised anti-ageing endpoints.

Through its integrated approach to skincare development, Evocutis provides a unique portfolio of testing services to take both ingredients and products from laboratory to clinical studies at a single site. Evocutis is developing the unique attributes of its LabSkin™ full thickness skin model to reduce the risk when transitioning between simple laboratory methods and clinical studies, supporting coherent product and claims development throughout the process.

LabSkin™ is being actively promoted as an animal-replacement technology and is suitable for assessing many of the endpoints required by the cosmetic and healthcare industries for products used on skin, including irritation, sensitisation, penetration, UV damage and antimicrobial activity.

Dr. Richard Bojar, CSO of Evocutis, says: "LabSkin™ provides a highly consistent substrate, which can now be used to assess anti-ageing activity and simultaneously provide additional information on irritation, penetration etc., making it a valuable tool in the development of innovative products. Feedback from our customers tells us that well designed, independent scientific studies provide consumers with well-defined claims, reassurance of quality, and clarity in a congested market. This makes LabSkin™ an invaluable marketing tool."

Evocutis is continuing its R&D programme to develop LabSkin™ as a platform testing technology for skincare development. It is anticipated that validation of LabSkin™ for assessing skin irritation, sensitisation, penetration, UV damage, antimicrobial activity and prebiotics will be announced to the market in the coming months.

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About Evocutis plc

With a rich portfolio of new product opportunities, Evocutis offers antimicrobial and dermatological expertise to the cosmetic, consumer healthcare and pharmaceutical industries. Being uniquely able to combine research for laboratory testing, advanced skin models and clinical testing, Evocutis offers a complete service for the development of skin care products and ingredients. Through research and testing we enable our clients to advance the discovery of skin care products that actually work.

Offering high quality contract research services, Evocutis specialises in Human Skin Microbiology, tissue culture systems and Human Volunteer and Clinical Dermatology Research. Unique characteristics of its colonised full thickness model of human skin (LabSkin™) allow rapid, cost effective screening of, for example, anti-ageing, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial ingredients and products for use on skin. Additionally, the clinical, human volunteer testing facility that is housed on-site provides rapid, bespoke evaluation of dermatological products.

When it comes to advanced laboratory and clinical evaluations of skincare products for the health and cosmetic markets, the Evocutis focus is simple: intelligent and specialised R&D input. 

For further information, please see www.evocutis.com

About LabSkin™

LabSkin™ is an animal-replacement technology, that emulates living skin tissue and is a high value research and product testing tool for the cosmetic and healthcare industries. It is a full thickness human skin model, comprised of both dermal and epidermal layers, and is produced exclusively and reproducibly on site at Evocutis from primary human cells (keratinocytes & fibroblasts). The model exhibits a fully differentiated epidermal layer, which provides a completely dry surface for tailored testing requirements.

LabSkin™ is highly versatile, and alongside its antimicrobial model, Evocutis is developing models to test anti-ageing and moisturising products. The antimicrobial LabSkin™ model allows testing using pathogenic microorganisms which would not be possible in human clinical studies. In addition, methods have been developed to allow LabSkin™ to be inoculated with skin washings taken directly from human skin, thus providing a step-change in the quality of data possible from a laboratory model. By benchmarking activity against best-in-class products, the activity of new ingredients and formulations can be assessed for several antimicrobial endpoints, including immediate kill, rate of kill and residual activity. Recent research indicates that our natural microflora is an integral part of our skin and makes a significant contribution to skin health. LabSkin™ provides a unique living skin surface which is validated for microbial applications and can simultaneously provide information on irritation, penetration, barrier function and skin structure.