INDIGO Biosciences, Inc. was formed in 2005 with the mission of collapsing the time and cost associated with drug and chemical evaluations. How has the company evolved to meet this goal over the last 15 years? We spoke with CEO and president Fred Marroni to find out why clients choose to work with INDIGO, as well as what sets it apart in the R&D industry.
HappyValley Industry: What is the unique solution your business provides to your clients?
Fred Marroni: INDIGO is a research and development company that offers laboratory tests for drug discovery, environmental testing and toxicology scientists. [It] possess the largest portfolio of nuclear receptor (NR) assay kits and related screening services in the world, each with uncompromising robustness and accuracy. In addition to human laboratory test systems, the company offers animal variation of its products such as mouse, rat, monkey and dog. Recently, INDIGO introduced the first-of-its-kind lab test kits using zebrafish – common use in environmental and cancer research.
INDIGO’s proprietary cryo-preservation technology enables INDIGO to successfully deliver frozen assay products anywhere in the world in 24 to 36 hours. Cellular-level testing, performed by INDIGO’s NR assays, is relevant to approximately 40% of current prescription drugs on the market today.
INDIGO’s products and services can save a biopharmaceutical company hundreds of millions of dollars and years of time that are often attributable to potential poor on-target performance and unanticipated off-target behaviors.
HappyValley Industry: Why do you think your customers choose and trust you?
Fred Marroni: INDIGO’s value proposition is very straightforward — the company’s nuclear receptor assay kits and services collapse the time and cost associated with drug and chemical evaluations. INDIGO’s kits and services are cost-effective alternatives to in-house assays and are significantly more effective than the limited commercially available alternatives currently on the market. Customers look to INDIGO kits to improve the speed, accuracy, ease and cost efficiency of their drug discovery research. INDIGO’s assays have substantial advantages over in-house alternatives and competing assays, including industry validation, ease of use, fastest time to data available in the industry and independent testing.
HappyValley Industry: How are you changing or hope to change your industry?
Fred Marroni: INDIGO Biosciences was formed in 2005 with the mission of collapsing the time and cost associated with drug and chemical evaluations. The goal of the company was to identify time-consuming and costly failures before a candidate drug enters the FDA process. By enabling a fail-fast approach in the earliest, pre-clinical phase of drug development, INDIGO’s products and services can save a biopharmaceutical company hundreds of millions of dollars and years of time that are often attributable to potential poor on-target performance and unanticipated off-target behaviors. INDIGO works with the who’s who of the drug development industry. Many of the compounds that we have assisted in testing have gone on to being useful drugs helping millions of people.
A strong investment infrastructure exists with Ben Franklin Technologies Partners and Life Science Greenhouse of Central PA. Because of INDIGO’s central location it also has access to the resources in larger metropolitan areas such as Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Washington, D.C. I feel it’s a great place to operate a high-growth business.
HappyValley Industry: How does the Happy Valley industry/tech ecosystem contribute to your company's success?
Fred Marroni: The Happy Valley ecosystem contributes significantly to INDIGO… INDIGO’s operations are centrally located at its headquarters in State College. The new facility located in the Kalman Corporate Center provides the company over 10,000 square feet of laboratory space, with the potential to expand. Penn State provides access to highly skilled scientists and business development personnel. A strong investment infrastructure exists with Ben Franklin Technologies Partners and Life Science Greenhouse of Central PA. Because of INDIGO’s central location it also has access to the resources in larger metropolitan areas such as Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Washington, D.C. I feel it’s a great place to operate a high-growth business.
HappyValley Industry: What is your best career advice?
Fred Marroni: Engage in a career that you find exciting and fulfilling. Many people will paralyze themselves from the fear of not being successful. In doing so, they limit their own growth and fulfillment. Many of life’s successes come after initial failure. Successful people learn how to overcome the fear of something new, embrace the challenge, develop solutions to overcome obstacles and grow as a person.
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