Evolution of an open-access quantitative bioanalytical mass spectrometry service in a drug discovery environment.
Increased demand for assays for compounds at the early stages of drug discovery within the pharmaceutical industry has led to the need for open-access mass spectrometry systems for performing quantitative analysis in a variety of biological matrices. The open-access mass spectrometers described here are LC/MS/MS systems operated in 'multiple reaction monitoring' (MRM) mode to obtain the sensitivity and specificity required to quantitate low levels of pharmaceutical compounds in an excess of biological matrix. Instigation of these open-access systems has resulted in mass spectrometers becoming the detectors of choice for non-expert users, drastically reducing analytical method development time and allowing drug discovery scientists to concentrate on their core expertise of pharmacokinetics and drug metabolism. Setting up an open-access facility that effectively allows a user with minimal mass spectral knowledge to exploit the MS/MS capability of triple quadrupole mass spectrometers presents a significantly different challenge from setting up qualitative single stage mass spectrometry systems. Evolution of quantitative open access mass spectrometry within a pharmaceutical drug metabolism and pharmacokinetics group, from its beginnings as a single generic system to a series of specialist fully integrated walk-up facilities, is described.
Wright
Patricia
P
Pfizer Global Research and Development, Department of Pharmacokinetics, Dynamics and Drug Metabolism, Sandwich, UK. Pat.Wright@Pfizer.com
Chassaing
Christophe
C
Cussans
Nigel
N
Gibson
Drew
D
Green
Caroline
C
Gleave
Michelle
M
Jones
Russell
R
Macrae
Paul
P
Saunders
Kenneth
K
D001331:Automation; D002138:Calibration; D002853:Chromatography, Liquid / Q000379:methods; D015195:Drug Design; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D021241:Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization / Q000379:methods*