Bringing the benefits of cutting-edge mass spectrometry technologies to UK SMEs
Medicines Discovery Catapult and Waters partner to support UK medicines discovery with advanced technology solutions
Today [12 June], Medicines Discovery Catapult announce the launch of a strategic partnership with Waters Corporation, a world leading mass spectrometry manufacturer.
The partnership will give small and medium enterprises (SMEs) working with Medicines Discovery Catapult unprecedented access to brand-new mass spectrometry technologies which are not yet fully commercially available.
Mass spectrometry platforms are key for driving medicines discovery forward through richer decision-making data. The technology enables mass detection and measurement of many molecules simultaneously, generating biological fingerprints and providing a detailed picture of how cells and tissues respond to drug treatment.
Medicines Discovery Catapult’s current mass spectrometry capabilities are already impacting on many projects with SME, academic and industrial collaborators.
For example, mass spectrometry imaging is generating spatial information on drug distribution, tissue penetration, and biomarker expression for our partners who are advancing candidate drugs towards clinical evaluation.
In addition, direct mass spectrometry workflows are being applied for cell-based assays and target engagement to help our partners select the next generation of candidate drugs with greater precision.
Through this partnership with Waters, whose Mass Spectrometry Centre of Excellence is located close to Medicines Discovery Catapult’s centre of operations in Cheshire, UK, Medicines Discovery Catapult will expand their current mass spectrometry offering with Waters’ innovative tools and R&D expertise.
Medicines Discovery Catapult will be enabled to improve the performance and sensitivity of existing platforms through access to Waters’ pre-commercial technologies, bringing their benefits to UK SMEs much earlier than would otherwise be possible.
Medicines Discovery Catapult will also work collaboratively with Waters’ scientists to generate real-world data sets and case studies to influence progression and advancements of the new pre-commercial and beta phase technologies, ensuring they are optimised to benefit the field of drug discovery.
Dr Peter Simpson, Chief Scientific Officer of Medicines Discovery Catapult, says:
“We are committed to providing UK drug discovery innovators with access to the latest cutting-edge technologies. Medicines Discovery Catapult has already established a high-quality mass spectrometry capability within our labs. This strategic partnership with Waters strengthens our laboratory capabilities and supports our ambition to deploy truly state-of-the-art mass spectrometry as a key platform, to make drug discovery faster and more efficient.”
James Langridge, PhD, FRSC, Corporate Scientific Fellow, Advanced MS Technologies for Waters Corporation, says:
“Waters Corporation has supported Medicines Discovery Catapult since their inception. Today, we are very excited to enter into this latest agreement to enable MDC’s customer to access Waters’ proprietary mass spectrometry technologies, including direct from sample mass spectrometry solutions. In return, we hope to gain new insights from the UK’s burgeoning pharmaceutical innovators as they tackle today’s and tomorrow’s analytical and therapeutic challenges to address unmet patient needs.”
