A biotechnology company in the UK has introduced a groundbreaking new method for testing new medicines using lab-grown human muscle. This technology, developed by Myomaker Bio—a company founded by researchers from Loughborough University—offers a way for drug developers to get more precise and reliable results earlier in the testing process, without relying on animal experiments. The company’s scientists have created human muscle tissues in the lab that closely resemble real skeletal muscle in structure and function, allowing researchers to study how muscles work, recover from injury, and respond to drugs in a controlled setting. According to Myomaker Bio, this approach provides a more accurate way to predict how medicines will behave in humans before they move on to clinical trials. Professor Mark Lewis, who co-founded Myomaker Bio and now serves as its CEO, explained that drug development has long been slow, expensive, and heavily dependent on animal testing, which doesn’t always give accurate results for humans. He added, ‘Our human muscle platforms are designed to fill that gap by providing a more reliable way to test medicines early in the process.’ This innovation could change how preclinical drug testing is done, making it more effective and ethical. Myomaker Bio, now based in London, is preparing to grow its operations after receiving £325,000 in investment from SFC Capital. This funding will help the company expand its team, produce more muscle models, and form stronger partnerships with drug developers around the world. The technology is built on over 50 years of research, with the team having already secured over £37 million in funding and published more than 100 scientific papers. Professor Dan Parsons, Pro Vice-Chancellor for Research and Innovation at Loughborough University, praised the company’s work, saying, ‘This is a major step forward. The team’s work in creating lab-grown human muscle opens up new possibilities for safer, faster, and more human-relevant drug discovery. This investment will help turn their scientific breakthroughs into real-world solutions that benefit patients.’