Henkel AG (Düsseldorf, Germany; www.henkel.com) closed the acquisition of the skin model technology from the SkinInVitro GmbH (Troisdorf, Germany; www.phenion.com), effective November 2, 2020. The closing was preceded by an extended and successful technology transfer phase, which guarantees the epiCS production at unchanged high quality. The epiCS skin models will be manufactured as of now in the Henkel laboratories in Düsseldorf, Germany, under the Phenion brand.
The epiCS technology comprises, beside others, reconstructed human epidermal equivalents, which are officially approved by the OECD for assessing the skin-corrosive potential (OECD TG 431) and, since April 2019, also the skin-irritating potential of chemicals (OECD TG 439).
Under its brand Phenion, Henkel provides biotechnologically constructed skin models to interested contract research organizations and research institutes. With the Phenion skin models, the company offers alternative in vitro test systems which can be used not only for basic research in dermatology and cosmetic sciences, but also for the safety assessment of raw materials and finished products.
“With this acquisition we are strengthening our existing product portfolio in the field of reconstructed human tissue models,” explains Dirk Petersohn, responsible for the Phenion brand at Henkel Beauty Care. “With the epiCS technology we can now offer our clients tissue models which are well-suited and regulatory accepted for analyzing the skin-corrosive and irritating potential of substances. Hence, this reasonable complement of our already existing product portfolio gives us the opportunity to serve our customers even better. We are looking forward to integrating the SkinInVitro team in order to expedite together the development and distribution of alternative test methods.”