OSOD, LLC, trading as Ocular Services On Demand, is an ophthalmic specialist in Madison, Wisconsin. It describes itself as "a consortium of recognized vision science experts committed to providing world-class services to accelerate identification and development of ophthalmic therapies and devices."[S1] The word consortium is the key to how it works: OSOD states that its members work through university-based laboratories and lists nine university relationships.[S9] It was acquired on January 22, 2025 by MERIT, described in the announcement as "a global clinical trial endpoint and technology services provider."[S2] That MERIT is a private clinical trial services business in Madison and is identified in the acquisition announcement as the Madison-based clinical trial services company; neither website addresses the distinction, so it is noted here to prevent confusion.
Services relevant to US drug and device developers
Study design, program strategy, and monitoring
The preclinical discovery service is framed around access and advice rather than bench execution: the company offers to "provide access to the relevant and translatable efficacy models"[S5] and gives "guidance on formulation"[S5] alongside non-GLP ocular safety and tolerability work and pharmacokinetic and ocular distribution studies.[S5] The non-clinical development service covers "GLP toxicology program design and execution,"[S6] IND-enabling safety and toxicology study design and monitoring of in-life IND-enabling studies across ophthalmic routes of administration and species.[S6] An IND is not "approved" by FDA: under 21 CFR 312.40 it goes into effect 30 days after FDA receives it unless FDA imposes a clinical hold.[R1] A CRO may conduct and report nonclinical studies that a sponsor includes in an IND, but it cannot guarantee that FDA will allow the clinical investigation to proceed. Because the in-life work happens at partner sites, sponsors should establish at the outset which organization is the study facility, who the study director is, and where the GLP obligations sit.
Ocular pathology and electrophysiology
Two technical services are performed as named OSOD capabilities. Ocular pathology covers bright field light microscopy, immunohistochemistry, transmission and scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy, drawing on "a reference slide library that contains over 23,000 pathology specimens dating back to 1921."[S7] Electrophysiology covers full-field, multifocal and pattern electroretinography and visual evoked potentials, with the company stating that "all testing adheres to the recommended guidelines set forth by the International Society for Clinical Electrophysiology of Vision (ISCEV)."[S8] Sponsors can ask OSOD to specify which pathology and electrophysiology endpoints it will perform itself and which will be performed at a partner laboratory.
Where the animals actually are
The company states that "behind each of our OSOD members is a fully-functioning research laboratory supported by university-based resources,"[S9] naming nine partner universities: the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the University of California Davis, Texas Tech University, the University of Houston, Cornell University, the Ohio State University, Indiana University, the Medical University of South Carolina and McMaster University.[S9] For each in-life study, sponsors should identify the study facility, the institution responsible for animal care and use oversight, and the contracting parties. For a sponsor this has two consequences. First, oversight responsibility follows the institution that houses the animals. Second, contracts, data ownership and GLP responsibilities need to be mapped across more than one organization before a study starts.
Quality, compliance, and animal welfare (as stated by the company)
GLP. The company offers "GLP toxicology program design and execution"[S6] and study monitoring. 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.[S6] 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] Given the partner model, the GLP compliance statement that ultimately matters is the one issued by the facility that runs the study. No AAALAC accreditation, USDA registration, OLAW Animal Welfare Assurance or IACUC statement appears on OSOD's own pages, that is an absence in those pages, not a finding about the status of OSOD or of any partner institution; the corresponding statements should be obtained from each partner site. 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
Legal name
OSOD, LLC, trading as Ocular Services On Demand[S2]
Headquarters
6527 Normandy Lane #100, Madison, WI 53719, United States[S3]
Founded
Not stated as a year; the acquisition announcement cites "a rich history spanning over 30 years in the field of ophthalmic preclinical drug development"[S2]
Ownership
Private; acquired by MERIT on January 22, 2025. MERIT is a private clinical trial endpoint and technology services provider headquartered at the same Madison address[S2][S4]
Note on the name
The acquirer MERIT (meritcro.com) is a different company from the publicly traded medical device manufacturer with a similar name; neither site states the distinction
OSOD lists university-based laboratories in its member network; confirm the study facility for each project. In-life work runs at partner CROs and nine named university laboratories[S9]
Service scope
Preclinical discovery and study design, GLP toxicology program design and monitoring, PK and ocular distribution, ocular pathology, electrophysiology[S5][S6][S7][S8]
Pathology library
More than 23,000 reference specimens dating back to 1921[S7]
Electrophysiology
ffERG, mfERG, pERG and VEP, following ISCEV guidelines[S8]
GLP, AAALAC, USDA, OLAW
No statement on OSOD's own pages; obtain these from the partner site that will run the study
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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