Drug-induced arrhythmias remain a significant challenge in pharmaceutical development, often resulting in
late-stage failure, regulatory rejection and post-market withdrawals. Traditional safety assays focused on hERG
potassium channel inhibition and QT prolongation, while effective at detecting torsadogenic compounds, frequently overestimate risk for multichannel-acting drugs and underestimate chronic structural toxicity.^1,2 Human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs) have emerged as a superior human-relevant alternative, particularly when integrated into the Comprehensive in vitro Proarrhythmia Assay (CiPA) framework.^2,3 CiPA-ready hiPSC-CM platforms offer a convergent solution that combines physiological relevance, mechanistic insight and regulatory alignment, positioning them as pivotal tools for next-generation cardiac safety assessment.^1,2,3

The Need for Better Cardiac Safety Testing
Cardiovascular toxicity remains a leading cause of late-stage drug development failure and post-marketing withdrawal. Historical analyses show that 8.7% of drugs withdrawn between 1960 and 1999, and 14% withdrawn between 1953 and 2013, were due to unanticipated cardiotoxic effects.^4,5 These failures span diverse therapeutic classes, antiarrhythmics like dronedarone, anticancer agents including anthracyclines, and non-cardiac drugs such as antidiabetics, fluoroquinolones and SSRIs.^1,6,7,8