About Melior Discovery
Discover how Melior’s unique phenotypic screening platforms can uncover the untapped value of your candidate therapeutic
Who We Are
Melior Discovery is an in vivo pharmacology contract research organization (CRO) based in Exton, Pennsylvania. Since 2005, we’ve helped global pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies discover and validate the therapeutic potential of their compounds across 150+ validated animal models of human disease, in an array of therapeutic areas such as inflammation, immunology, diabetes & metabolic syndrome, dermatology, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, psychiatric, neurological and neurodegenerative disorders. Our services span preclinical in vivo efficacy testing, drug repositioning, and in vivo phenotypic screening. Results made in Melior’s labs have gone on to clinical validation and have launched new companies. That track record is why Melior was named CRO of the Year by Life Science Review and a Top 20 CRO by Pharma Tech Outlook.
What We Do
Melior is a world-class provider of in vivo pharmacology services, evaluating candidate therapeutics in animal models of human disease. We work with global pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies on a contract or collaborative basis, across three core areas:
- In Vivo Preclinical Efficacy Testing: Rigorous in vivo evaluation of candidate compounds across 150+ validated animal models of human disease, spanning 14 therapeutic areas including inflammation, immunology, oncology, diabetes and metabolic syndrome, dermatology, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, psychiatric, neurological, and neurodegenerative disorders.
- Drug Repositioning (Repurposing): Systematic discovery of new therapeutic indications for existing and development-stage compounds, uncovering unexpected biological activity that expands a candidate’s value beyond its original purpose.
- Multiplexed Animal-Model Phenotypic Screening: Our proprietary theraTRACE® platform evaluates a single compound across a broad panel of in vivo disease models in parallel, complemented by immuno-theraTRACE™ for oncology and opioidTRACE® for analgesia, plus pharmacokinetic (PK) evaluation, bioanalytical services, and specialized surgical models.
Why We’re Different
More than a provider of in vivo pharmacology services, Melior is a pioneer of in vivo phenotypic screening and a leader in drug repositioning. Four things set us apart:
- Customization: We bring speed, thoughtful experimental design, meticulous attention to detail, and flexibility to every program. As problem solvers, we tailor each study to answer the questions that matter most to your pipeline.
- Proprietary Technology: Our specialized in-house platforms drive indication discovery. theraTRACE® enables cost-effective identification of new therapeutic potential by systematically screening candidates across a diverse array of validated in vivo disease models. immuno-theraTRACE™ delivers oncology-focused screening for immune-modulating agents and tumor models, while opioidTRACE® evaluates pain pathways and abuse liability for analgesic candidates.
- Broad Scientific Expertise: Our high-throughput approach evaluates compounds across many disease models in parallel, delivering broader biological insight and de-risking pipeline decisions faster.
- Quality of Data: The quality of our data is widely recognized by scientists throughout the global pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical industry. We’ve built a track record of real-world impact including clinical validation of our findings and several new companies founded on therapeutic opportunities first discovered in Melior’s labs.
Management Team
Andrew Reaume, PhD, MBA
President and CEO,
Co-Founder
Vivian Cong, PhD
Vice President of Research & Development
Amy DiCamillo
Vice President of Behavioral and Pain Pharmacology
Hongyan Li, PhD
Director of Oncology
Lindsey Mayes-Hopfinger, PhD
Director of Immunology and Inflammation
Austin Parrish, PhD
Data Scientist
John A. Gruner, PhD
Director of Neurophysiology
Vipin Arora, PhD
Director of Pharmacology
Shamroop Mallela, PhD
Senior Scientist
Kathryn Babiarz
Client Coordinator
Yang Yang
Projects Coordinator
Frequently Asked Questions
Melior Discovery was founded in 2005 and is located at 860 Springdale Drive, Suite 500, Exton, PA 19341.
Melior Discovery is led by Andrew Reaume, PhD, MBA, President and Chief Executive Officer. Dr. Reaume has been a pioneer in advancing in vivo phenotypic screening as a transformative approach to drug discovery and drug repositioning, enabling researchers to uncover therapeutic opportunities that traditional target-based methods often miss.
Melior’s team is led by PhD scientists with deep expertise in in vivo study design, and is supported by distinguished scientific advisors including Christopher Lipinski, PhD, author of the “Rule of Five,” the widely used framework for predicting whether a compound is likely to be orally active. This expertise underpins Melior’s high-throughput approach, which evaluates compounds across many disease models in parallel to deliver broader biological insight and de-risk pipeline decisions faster.
Four factors distinguish Melior: customized in vivo study design tailored to each client’s pipeline questions; proprietary screening platforms (theraTRACE®, immuno-theraTRACE™, opioidTRACE®) unavailable elsewhere; a high-throughput parallel approach that delivers broader biological insight per compound; and a data-quality record recognized across the biotech and pharmaceutical industry. Findings originating in Melior’s labs have advanced to clinical validation and seeded several new companies.
Yes. Melior was named CRO of the Year by Life Science Review and a Top 20 CRO by Pharma Tech Outlook, reflecting the quality of its science and its standing among preclinical research partners.
Melior partners with organizations across the full size spectrum — from large global pharmaceutical companies to emerging biotechs, academic labs, and research centers. Its flexible, bespoke study designs and cost-conscious approach make it a practical fit for smaller and early-stage groups that need high-quality in vivo data without large internal infrastructure, while its scientific depth and data-quality record support the rigorous programs of top-ten pharma.
Yes. Melior works with companies at every scale, from top-ten pharma to single-founder virtual biotechs with no laboratory of their own. Melior handles in vivo study design and execution end to end, so a partner without a lab can still produce a rigorous, board-ready preclinical data package. Most studies can be initiated within days, and engagements typically start as a defined pilot project rather than a long-term commitment — you can begin with a single study and expand only if the data warrants it.
Yes. Melior Discovery is accredited by AAALAC International, the global standard for responsible animal care and use in research, and is DEA-licensed for Schedule I–V controlled substances. The DEA licensure allows Melior to evaluate controlled compounds, including opioids and other scheduled analgesics assessed through the opioidTRACE® platform, without the delays and jurisdictional limits that unlicensed facilities face.
Melior developed three proprietary in vivo phenotypic screening platforms, each tuned to a different question. theraTRACE® screens a compound across a broad array of disease models spanning many therapeutic areas to uncover unexpected new indications. immuno-theraTRACE® screens immune-modulating agents across multiple syngeneic tumor models to determine which cancer type an immunotherapy is most effective against. opioidTRACE® evaluates analgesic efficacy alongside opioid-liability endpoints such as respiratory depression, gastric motility, and abuse potential.
Yes. Discoveries originating in Melior’s labs have advanced from preclinical screening to clinical validation and have seeded the formation of several new companies. The clearest example is MLR-1023 (tolimidone), identified through the theraTRACE® platform as having unexpected antidiabetic activity, later characterized as a novel Lyn kinase activator and insulin sensitizer, and advanced to clinical proof of concept. This track record reflects Melior’s core purpose: uncovering the untapped therapeutic value of a compound and turning unexpected biology into real programs and ventures.