The contract research organization (CRO), LGC, announced the adoption of Quanterix Simoa HD-X automated analyser, which will be available at the company’s laboratories in Cambridge, UK.
HD-X is designed to support drug developers conducting pharmacokinetic - pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) bioanalytical studies and, compared to other assay platforms, is ‘up to 1,000 times’ more sensitive, according to Rachel Green, LGC’s operations director.
The platform, which was developed by Quanterix, a software developer working on biomarker analyzing technologies, utilizes the Simoa (Single Molecule Array) technology.
With Simoa, arrays of femtoliter-sized reaction chambers are used to isolate and detect single molecules bound to paramagnetic beads. According to the company, this method can measure proteins in the femtomolar range.
A spokesperson for LGC explained that “Simoa allows researchers and clinicians to detect and monitor changes of established disease biomarkers that are present at extremely low levels, such as cardiac troponin I and cytokines.”
According to the spokesperson, “new molecular insights can be gained and greater utility can be achieved with disease biomarkers,” including those for cardiovascular, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn’s disease, certain cancers, and inflammatory- and autoimmune-based diseases.
“Even the smallest changes in biomarker levels can be measured, allowing researchers to gain unprecedented insights into complex disease biology, drug efficacy, and drug safety,” the spokesperson added.
The launch of HD-X platform answers a high market demand, according to LGC, with the spokesperson stating that the company has already had “a number of enquiries from existing customers around the technology.”
