title: Advances in LC platforms for drug discovery.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The major application areas of liquid chromatography (LC) in modern drug discovery are the identification and structural characterization of new potential lead compounds from natural and/or synthetic sources and the determination of their physico-chemical and pharmacokinetic properties.
  
  
  METHODS
  Significant advances in terms of LC platforms achieved in the last 5 years are highlighted in this review. Special attention is paid to novel LC strategies used in the discovery of new bioactive molecules and the determination of lipophilicity, pK(a) values, passive drug permeability and in vitro metabolism of new chemical entities.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Many improvements were achieved in terms of LC instrumentation, columns technology and analytes detection to attain ultra-fast and/or high-resolution chromatographic separations. These advances are particularly beneficial to face the complexity and high number of samples studied in the early phases of the discovery process. Advantages and drawbacks of each strategy are discussed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  LC and ultra high pressure liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry detection constitute the most promising strategies to achieve high-throughput and/or high-resolution analyses in a drug discovery environment.
authors: University of Geneva, University of Lausanne, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Quai Ernest-Ansermet 30, 1211 Geneva 4, Switzerland  +41 22 379 33 59 ;  +41 22 379 33 60 ;  pierre-alain.carrupt@unige.ch.
authors: Raul
authors: R
authors: Nicoli
authors: Sophie
authors: S
authors: Martel
authors: Serge
authors: S
authors: Rudaz
authors: Jean-Luc
authors: JL
authors: Wolfender
authors: Jean-Luc
authors: JL
authors: Veuthey
authors: Pierre-Alain
authors: PA
authors: Carrupt
authors: Davy
authors: D
authors: Guillarme