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Investing in a new LC-MS system is not an easy decision, especially if you have a range of analytical requirements in your laboratory. This blog is part of a series intended to help you choose the right system for your pharmaceutical research and development needs.

To meet bioanalysis needs, SCIEX offers multiple systems that support bioanalytical quantitation. Choosing the best fit for your laboratory comes down to your current and predicted future requirements. Let’s dig into the details to give you a better understanding of your options, so you can make the right decision.

Routine bioanalysis
SCIEX has been selling and servicing quadrupole mass spectrometers for bioanalysis for a long time, and we pride ourselves on the performance, reliability and support offered with our LC-MS systems.

The instruments run on SCIEX OS software, which is a platform that is easy to use and reduces the burden of meeting compliance requirements. Even if you are not working in a regulated lab, developing your method on compliant-ready software could save you time in the future if the method is transferred into the regulated bioanalysis space.

For an example of the performance you can expect from SCIEX LC-MS systems, read the technical note Highly sensitive LC-MS/MS method for the quantification of fluticasone propionate in human plasma, which describes using the QTRAP 6500 system for routine bioanalytical quantitation.

Routine bioanalysis requiring higher sensitivity
As technology has developed and evolved, mass spectrometers have become more sensitive, and what was once considered a nice-to-have feature is now often essential. If you need to see trace-level analytes or if your matrices are very complex, the SCIEX 7500 system is the better option for you.

To see examples of what the SCIEX 7500 system can do, read the technical notes Low-pg/mL quantification of cyclic peptides in rat plasma using microflow LC and A sensitive method for the quantification of formoterol in human plasma, which describe methods for highly sensitive bioanalytical quantitation with enhanced lower limits of quantitation (LLOQs).

A flexible quantitative/qualitative system, more selectivity or larger analytes
In the last 5 years, time-of-flight (TOF) technology has become more sensitive and robust, making it more attractive within bioanalysis laboratories. The ability to offer both quantitative and qualitative information on a single system makes life easier, and the increased selectivity of TOF systems allows low-level analytes to be distinguished from complex matrices, enabling shorter run times and reduced sample preparation. In addition, as drug modalities have changed and test compounds have become larger, they have exceeded the mass range of quadrupole systems, making TOF systems essential.

Discover how the ZenoTOF 7600 system can help in your lab by reading the technical notes Sensitive quantification of insulin lispro using accurate mass spectrometry and Accomplish outstanding quantitative performance for bioanalysis of small molecule pharmaceuticals using accurate mass spectrometry, which describe highly sensitive workflows that meet the needs of routine bioanalysis in complex matrices with exceptional accuracy and precision.

Learn more
For more information on the options SCIEX has for bioanalysis, please speak to your account manager, and to learn more about the benefits that sensitivity gains can bring to your bioanalytical assays, explore SCIEX technical notes that describe the ultra-sensitive quantitation capabilities of the SCIEX 7500 system in complex biological matrices.