Analytical techniques

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RS coupled to separations

24 March 2006 | By Cees Gooijer, Freek Ariese and Reyer J. Dijkstra, Dept. of Analytical Chemistry and Applied Spectroscopy, Laser Centre Vrije Universiteit

Currently, Raman spectroscopy (RS) is rapidly becoming a mature analytical technique in the pharmaceutical world. Thus far, it is used almost exclusively in a stand-alone mode, since coupling with liquid separation methods hardly seemed realistic in practice. However, as outlined in this article, recent developments are quite promising and such…

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A vision for the future

24 March 2006 | By Dr. Manuela Scholz, Leiter der Herstellung (Product Supply Release Responsible), Procter & Gamble Pharmaceuticals

Due to the need for improvement in the cost structure and efficiency of the pharmaceutical industry, the introduction of NIR analytical techniques in combination with PAT applications is a promising opportunity for cycle time reduction and machine utilisation increase.

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HTS using siRNA libraries

2 February 2006 | By Quan Du, Institute of Molecular Medicine, Peking University, Meihong Chen, Chinese Human Genome Center Beijing, Claes Wahlestedt, Scripps Florida and Zicai Liang, Karolinska Institute

Although synthetic siRNA libraries are becoming more available, most high throughput siRNA library-based screening was carried out with siRNA libraries encoded by different vectors. In this article, siRNA library construction methods and HTS applications are summarised.

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Connecting HCS to CNS drug targets

2 February 2006 | By Carmel B. Nanthakumar, Senior Research Scientist – Automated Imaging and Electrophysiology, Neuroscience Research Centre, Merck Sharp and Dohme

HCS has been implemented as a key technology to address complex biology associated with CNS drug targets. This review will describe a new generation of HCS assays including multiplexed HCS assays with biochemical markers, novel techniques for studying receptor internalisation and the application of HCS to neural network cultures that…

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Cost, knowledge and convenience: facing the facts

2 February 2006 | By Professor David Littlejohn, Head of the Department of Pure and Applied Chemistry at the University of Strathclyde, Director of CPACT at the University of Strathclyde

There can be no doubt that the FDA’s initiative on Process Analytical Technologies (PAT) has had an enormous impact on the pharmaceutical industries. However, the emergence of ’born again‘ PAT devotees in pharma companies has caused mild amusement in other industries where on-line analysis has been an integral part of…

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Setting new standards in Ultra HTS

2 February 2006 | By Elisabeth Pook, Stefan Martin Mundt, Adrian Tersteegen, Department of Cardiovascular Research, Pharma Research Center Wuppertal, Bayer HealthCare AG

Ultra high-throughput screening (UHTS) offers the possibility to discover novel pharmacophores. To benefit from UHTS special demands concerning assay quality and data analysis have to be met.

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A bright future for drug discovery and development

11 November 2005 | By Dr Frank Straube, Biomarker Expert, Novartis Pharma AG

High content imaging (HCI), the combination of automated fluorescence microscopy with quantitative image analysis, has been opening new dimensions in cytometry. This article gives an overview on the growing spectrum of applications and an outlook on the future use of this still rapidly developing technology.

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Mass Spectrometry: another tool from the PAT toolbox

11 November 2005 | By Steve Doherty and Aaron Garrett, Manufacturing Science and Technology, Mark LaPack, Process Research and Development, Eli Lilly and Co.

Optical techniques can not address every application need, so the well-equipped PAT toolbox must include a broad array of technologies. One analytical tool that has been less-published but no less useful than the optical methods is mass spectrometry. This article provides a brief review of some of the published uses…

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Applications in bioprocesses and biotechnology

11 November 2005 | By Roger M. Jarvis (University of Manchester), Royston Goodacre (University of Manchester)

Raman spectroscopy is a highly versatile tool that provides chemical fingerprints from biological material that can be interpreted using chemometrics and machine learning. In combination this powerful approach is being developed for the quantitative determination of multiple determinands in bioprocesses and for the characterisation of microorganisms.

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Why is thermal analysis important to the industry?

11 November 2005 | By Dr Paul G. Royall, Lecturer in Pharmaceutics, School of Chemical Sciences & Pharmacy University of East Anglia, See-wah Jai Tang, Pharmaceutical Science Research Division, King’s College London

Thermal analysis equipment can be found in nearly all of the analytical, development, formulation and QA laboratories within the pharmaceutical industry. However, these work horse instruments are learning to run faster and to analyse an ever more varied field of samples.

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The AstraZeneca ACMF

22 August 2005 | By Dr Dalin Nie, Associate Director, and Deborah S. Hartman, Director, Lead Discovery, AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals, Wilmington

Compound management is an emerging discipline that represents a core component of the drug discovery process, from early phases involving high throughput screening (HTS) to late-stage lead optimisation screening cascades.

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Support for lead optimisation and target validation

22 August 2005 | By Stefan Prechtl, Group Leader, High Content Analysis and Philip Denner, Schering AG

High-Content Analysis (HCA) provides a drug discovery tool capable of rapid screening of drug effects in pharmacologically relevant cell culture systems. Interest in HCA has been increasing during the past few years. This reflects the confidence that HCA-technology has established due to the stability and reliability offered to the drug…

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The rise of Raman

22 August 2005 | By Marleen de Veij, Dr. Peter Vandenabeele and Prof. Dr. Luc Moens, Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry, Ghent University

Traditionally, analyses in pharmaceutical research and industry were often performed using Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) or Mass Spectrometry (MS). However, researchers are aware that Raman Spectroscopy possesses advantageous characteristics for the pharmaceutical world.

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A Pfizer perspective

22 August 2005 | By Joep Timmermans, Ph.D., Senior Manager/Team Leader, Process Analytical Support Group – Americas Implementation Team, Pfizer Global Manufacturing

While the current attention and focus on Process Analytical Technologies (PAT) may make you believe otherwise, PAT measurement systems have been used in the pharmaceutical industry, Pfizer included, for some time, albeit often to a limited extent.

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Efficient HTS in the nanoliter range

22 August 2005 | By Dr Johannes Ottl, Laboratory Head, Novartis Pharmaceuticals

The pharmaceutical industry continues to face an ever-changing, increasingly competitive business environment. This makes it imperative for drug discovery and development efforts to incorporate new technologies in order to reduce time-to-market to survive in today’s competitive marketplace. This industry pressure to shorten the R&D process has seen high-throughput screening (HTS)…