Primary hepatocytes are human liver cells obtained from surplus tissue that are derived from liver cancer resections. These cells typically retain their biological functions for between 7 to10 days.

Human liver cells are used by the pharmaceutical industry for testing purposes, for example to predict possible toxic effects of new pharmaceutical substances, to study interspecies differences in drug metabolism and toxicity and to evaluate the risk due to environmental or dietary toxic substances. They are the only in-vitro system that reliably predicts liver enzyme induction. They are also an essential tool in the research on liver regeneration, viral infection and liver cancer.

The use of human liver cells is preferred and superior to the use of animal models. Animal tests cannot monitor human metabolism with the same accuracy and predictability. In-vitro toxicology testing is essential in any drug development process, especially to understand drug metabolism, drug-drug interactions and drug toxicity. The closer the model is to its human equivalent, the better and more reliable the results will be. Furthermore in the mid-term, animal models will likely be replaced by human liver cell lines.

Siam Life Science provides liver cells of Asian origin.  As different ethnic groups differ in their ability to metabolize drugs, the pharmaceutical industry requires cells from different ethnic groups for use to optimize drug dosage. If the same therapeutic effect can be achieved with a lower concentration of a drug there will be cost efficiencies and possibly, reduced side effects.