title: Evolution of an open-access quantitative bioanalytical mass spectrometry service in a drug discovery environment.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Pfizer Global Research and Development, Department of Pharmacokinetics, Dynamics and Drug Metabolism, Sandwich, UK. Pat.Wright@Pfizer.com
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Wright
authors.forename: Christophe
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chassaing
authors.forename: Nigel
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Cussans
authors.forename: Drew
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gibson
authors.forename: Caroline
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Green
authors.forename: Michelle
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gleave
authors.forename: Russell
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Macrae
authors.forename: Kenneth
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Saunders
mesh_terms: D001331:Automation; D002138:Calibration; D002853:Chromatography, Liquid / Q000379:methods; D015195:Drug Design; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D021241:Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization / Q000379:methods*