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Automated DBS microsampling, microscale automation and microflow LC-MS for therapeutic protein PK
Qian Zhang1, Daniela Tomazela2, Lisa A Vasicek1
1Pharmacokinetics, Pharmacodynamics & Drug Metabolism, Merck & Co., Inc., West Point, PA 19486, USA.
Aim:
Reduce animal usage for discovery-stage PK studies for biologics programs using microsampling-based approaches and microscale LC-MS.
Methods & Results:
We report the development of an automated DBS-based serial microsampling approach for studying the PK of therapeutic proteins in mice. Automated sample preparation and microflow LC-MS were used to enable assay miniaturization and improve overall assay throughput. Serial sampling of mice was possible over the full 21-day study period with the first six time points over 24 h being collected using automated DBS sample collection. Overall, this approach demonstrated comparable data to a previous study using single mice per time point liquid samples while reducing animal and compound requirements by 14-fold.
Conclusion:
Reduction in animals and drug material is enabled by the use of automated serial DBS microsampling for mice studies in discovery-stage studies of protein therapeutics.
