CorDynamics is a preclinical contract research organization in the Illinois Medical District in Chicago that works only on cardiovascular questions. It describes its work as focused exclusively on cardiovascular drug discovery and safety[S1] and states that "for over two decades, we've partnered with pharma and biotech teams to deliver high-quality preclinical data that drives confident decisions in both discovery and safety pharmacology."[S2] Its knowledge hub carries a further comparative claim about its position among providers;[S8] this profile does not reproduce comparative claims that no cited source substantiates. This profile summarizes the model panels, techniques, stated compliance information, and company facts most relevant to US sponsors.
Model panels
Atrial fibrillation and heart failure
The atrial fibrillation panel uses rat, guinea pig and large animal species, with three model formats: "isolated Langendorff heart; anesthetized large animal (acute vagal pacing); telemetry-based chronic atrial tachypacing."[S3] The company also describes "conscious animal models for real-time ECG, hemodynamic, and physiology monitoring."[S3] The heart failure panel covers mouse, rat, guinea pig, rabbit and large animal, with models listed as "post-MI HFrEF (permanent ligation or ischemia-reperfusion), pressure overload (TAC, aortic constriction), pacing-induced failure (large animal), HFpEF (high-fat diet, DOCA-salt, metabolic syndrome)."[S4] Endpoints listed for heart failure work include "infarct size, fibrosis, histopathology, biomarkers (BNP, NT-proBNP), survival, arrhythmia incidence."[S4]
Pulmonary arterial hypertension and thrombosis
The pulmonary arterial hypertension panel uses mouse and rat, with models listed as "monocrotaline (MCT); hypoxia; hypoxia + Sugen (SuHx),"[S5] and names PDE5 inhibitors, endothelin-1 antagonists, soluble guanylate cyclase stimulators and sotatercept among the validated pharmacology controls.[S5] The thrombosis panel spans mouse, rat and human in vitro work, with "platelet aggregation (whole blood, PRP); carotid arterial thrombosis; coronary thrombosis; venous thrombosis."[S6] Named techniques used across the four panels are the Langendorff heart, in vivo anesthetized models, in vitro vascular activity, implantable telemetry, pressure-volume loops, echocardiography and electrophysiology.[S7] Data acquisition uses "validated data acquisition systems (Notocord, EMKA, DSI)."[S2]
What is not offered
The focus is narrow by design. No general toxicology outside cardiovascular questions, no DMPK or ADME service line, no standalone bioanalysis or pathology laboratory, no infectious disease or biocontainment work and no medical device testing was found on the pages reviewed. Pharmacokinetic and histopathology readouts appear as endpoints within cardiovascular studies rather than as services that can be bought separately.[S4] A sponsor running a full nonclinical program would place the cardiovascular work here and the rest elsewhere.
Quality, compliance, and animal welfare (as stated by the company)
GLP. The company states that it "operates in a GLP- and OECD-compliant environment"[S2] and refers to "controlled-access security and comprehensive QA oversight."[S2] The company's website does not name a specific GLP regulation (FDA 21 CFR Part 58, EPA 40 CFR Part 160/792, or OECD GLP) for its facilities.[S2] GLP compliance is determined study by study under the applicable regulation, so sponsors should confirm in the protocol which regulation their study will follow and that the final report will carry the study director's compliance statement and the quality assurance unit's statement.[R2] On animal oversight, no AAALAC accreditation, USDA registration, OLAW Animal Welfare Assurance or Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee statement was found on any page reviewed. The one appearance of the 3Rs is on the atrial fibrillation page, where "multi-compound testing in single animal (3Rs)"[S3] describes a study design that reduces animal numbers rather than a welfare policy. Sponsors who require documented accreditation or registration should ask the company directly. AAALAC International accreditation is a voluntary evaluation of an institution's animal care and use program, re-evaluated every three years,[R3] and USDA registration and an OLAW Animal Welfare Assurance relate to the Animal Welfare Act and the PHS Policy respectively;[R4][R5] none of these establishes GLP compliance, which applies to individual studies.[R2] FDA does not approve or certify laboratories; registration with FDA does not denote approval.[R6]
Company facts
Name
CorDynamics; the site footer shows the name without a corporate suffix[S1]
Location
2242 W. Harrison St., Chicago, IL 60612, United States, in the Illinois Medical District (the only site named)[S1][S2]
Founded
Not stated; the company cites more than two decades of partnership work[S2]
Ownership
Not stated; no stock listing, investor or parent company is named on the website[S2]
FDA ? "Is It Really FDA Approved?" (FDA does not approve health care providers, including laboratories; registration does not denote approval); FDA Compliance Program 7348.808 (GLP inspections of nonclinical laboratories). https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/it-really-fda-approved (accessed 2026-09-03)
3 Recommended Contract Research Organizations for Non-Clinical Studies
— by Target goal and Expertise
In drug discovery, the quality and efficiency of non-clinical studies have a direct impact on clinical success rates, development costs, and overall length of time required in R&D.
In recent years, there has been more demand for clinically relevant data, globally accepted reliability, and accurate early-stage screening.
Thus, it is more important than ever to select the right CRO (Contract Research Organization) for strategic approach.
In this article, we highlight three CROs with proven technical capabilities, expertise, and long standing track records. These are our TOP 3 choices based on their capabilities and the specific target goals of the researchers for their non-clinical studies.
Pharmacology (Efficacy) Studies Replicate unknown pathological models and Discovery to clinically oriented drug evaluation
SMC Laboratories, Inc.
Reference: SMC Laboratories, Inc. official website (https://www.smccro-lab.com/jp/)
SMC Laboratories, Inc. has established a disease models using patented mouse technologies.
The company has established proprietary pathological models—particularly in liver disease and fibrosis—and continues to expand their approach across a wide range of models in cancer, inflammation, and metabolic diseases.
From exploratory research to clinically oriented efficacy evaluation, SMC offers customized study designs, dosing strategies, and evaluation analysis tailored to each project.
Their collaborative approach allows researchers to discuss and refine study plans together with SMC’s expert scientists.
With flexible small-scale study options and strong technical support, SMC Laboratories, Inc. is an ideal partner for start-ups, biotech ventures, and academic institutions alike.
Safety Studies Comprehensive Safety Evaluation for FIH Applications
Labcorp Holdings Inc. (Labcorp Drug Development)
Reference: Labcorp Holdings Inc. official website (https://jp.labcorp.com/)
Labcorp Holdings Inc. provides a fully integrated GLP testing system aligned with international regulatory standards, including FDA, EMA, and PMDA requirements.
All studies are conducted under ICH-compliant quality assurance, making it ready for data submission.
The company has extensive expertise in long-term toxicity studies such as Segment I–III reproductive and carcinogenicity studies, as well as 2-year chronic toxicity assessments.
Labcorp Holdings Inc.’s comprehensive approach enables sponsors to efficiently outsource the entire preclinical package from toxicology, toxicokinetic (TK), and safety pharmacology study design to execution. This accelerates a path to First-in-Human (FIH) trials.
For most of the global drug developers, this all-in-one service structure minimizes cost, risk, and expedite the time before advancing to clinical phase.
Pharmacokinetic (PK/PD) Studies High-Precision Bioanalysis for Clinically Predictive PK/PD Evaluation
PhoenixBio Co., Ltd.
Source: PhoenixBio Co., Ltd. Official Website (https://phoenixbio.co.jp/)
PhoenixBio Co., Ltd. offers pharmacokinetic and hepatic metabolism studies using their proprietary PXB-mouse®, a humanized-liver chimeric mouse model. This platform enables the acquisition of data with high clinical correlation in ADME, drug–to–drug interaction studies, bridging the gap between preclinical and clinical stages.
With advanced LC-MS/MS-based bioanalysis, PhoenixBio Co., Ltd. provides a seamless workflow from plasma concentration measurement and metabolite identification to quantitative validation.
The company offers an integrated evaluation analysis covering pharmacokinetics, hepatotoxicity, and safety with flexibility to accommodate complex modalities such as oligonucleotide and middle-molecule therapeutics.
For compounds where hepatic metabolism is a development bottleneck—or where quantitative, reproducible exposure data are critical—PhoenixBio Co., Ltd. delivers unmatched analytical precision and consistency.
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