Ma x iM iz ing F l e x ib i l i t y a n d e F F ic i en c y Fo r a P ha rMac eu t ic a l c ro w it h ac Qu it y u P l c a n d x e v o t Q M S

BackgroundBioFocus DPI aims to expand its partners’ drug pipelines by accelerating the gene-to-candidate

discovery process. This is achieved through a comprehensive discovery platform, which includes

target discovery in human primary cells, focused as well on diverse compound libraries, in vitro

and cell-based screening, structural biology, medicinal chemistry, ADME/PK services, supported

by unique chemogenomic and informatics tools, and compound library acquisition, storage and

distribution services.

challengeWithin its ADME/PK laboratory, BioFocus DPI provides in vitro and in vivo services to support drug

discovery projects. This typically involves performing high-throughput screening analyses on ‘drug

like molecules’ together with more in-depth studies frequently involving challenging analytes such

as peptides and peptidomimetics. Such studies often involve limited sample numbers from a wide

range of biological fluids and tissues. On occasion, with their existing analytical instrumentation,

BioFocus DPI had to spend considerable time developing robust, cost-effective analytical methods

that achieved the required levels of sensitivity.

Operating within an increasingly competitive environment, and with a mission to provide the very

best service to customers, the challenge for BioFocus DPI was to maximize flexibility and maintain

the efficient analytical workflows that would be required to sustain both current capacity and future

development, customer satisfaction, and a competitive edge.

T he SoluT ionTo deliver on its promise of providing the very best customer service, BioFocus DPI turned to Waters

for a powerful analytical solution that would enable them to deliver the high quality, rapid results

its customers demand. The Xevo™ TQ MS combined with Waters® UltraPerformance LC® Technology

provide a higher throughput and greater sensitivity. The enhanced compatibility of Xevo TQ with

UPLC® Technology ensures that the system operates optimally at the highest data acquisition rates,

maximizing the number of compounds that can reliably be assayed in a single method.

BioFocus DPI is experiencing workflow benefits gained from enhanced sensitivity, selectivity, and

linearity, delivered through the unique ScanWave™ collision cell and ion source technology. The

company can now more easily quantify and confirm trace components in highly complex matrices,

with much greater speed and accuracy.

“ The Xevo TQ increases

our adMe/Pk laboratory

throughput and

allows more accurate

measurements to

both quantify new

chemical entities and

confirm the identity of

metabolites in a wide

range of biological

fluids and tissues. For

molecules that would

previously have a poor

response using standard

technologies, the

Xevo TQ increases the

likelihood of detection

significantly.”

chriS newTon, SVP, BioFocuS dPi

waters corporation 34 Maple Street Milford, MA 01757 U.S.A. T: 1 508 478 2000 F: 1 508 872 1990 www.waters.com

Waters, UltraPerformance LC, UPLC, and ACQUITY UPLC are registered trademarks of Waters Corporation. The Science of What’s Possible, Xevo, and ScanWave are trademarks of Waters Corporation. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

©2009 Waters Corporation. Produced in the U.S.A.August 2009 720003178EN LB-PDF

Business benefitsBioFocus DPI is achieving clear business efficiencies and can

provide more cost-effective studies since adopting the Xevo TQ MS

System solution with (the) ACQUITY UPLC® (System). Its increased

throughput and faster turnaround times have enabled the company

to expand its current capacity.

With an order of magnitude improvement in sensitivity, the

company has been able to broaden the range of studies it offers.

“We’ve been able to accept PK studies with much lower dose levels,

and have been able to successfully quantify the compounds in

plasma and tissues from those studies. That really would have been

very challenging without the Xevo TQ,” said Dawn Yates, ADME/PK’s

Laboratory Manager.

Further efficiencies are being experienced in sample extraction.

In some cases, the increased sensitivity negates the need for

sample concentration in the preparation stage.

“We are building ADME/PK Laboratory’s advanced bioanalysis

service to provide the best ADME data to support drug discovery

programs for our UK, US, and European clients. This newly installed

instrument provides greater sensitivity, accuracy, and speed, thus

enabling us to further enhance the service that we deliver – whether

this be for a small-scale study, or as part of an integrated drug

discovery program,” concluded Chris Newton, SVP, BioFocus DPI.

www.biofocusdpi.com