AB SCIEX: Eksigent Technologies

Company Background

Eksigent Technologies is a leader in the development and manufacture of micro-scale systems for life science and drug discovery, development and delivery applications. Eksigent's tools provide increases in analysis speed, throughput, and sensitivity. Eksigent's drug delivery systems are compact, disposable devices that bring levels of precision to portable drug delivery (2).

In 2010, AB SCIEX acquired the liquid chromatography business of Eksigent Technologies. This acquisition by AB SCIEX provides AB SCIEX with a significant entry into the liquid chromatography (LC) market through the ability to provide instrumentation and consumables used to separate, identify and quantify very small quantities of molecules based on their chemical properties and to couple them with mass spectrometry instruments to form complete workflow solutions. Eksigent is a provider of advanced low-flow, fluid delivery technologies (3).

Suppliers and Buyers

Many laboratories use technologies built by Eksigent and AB SCIEX. Among the regulated labs that are using Eksigent’s micro LC is Alturas Analytics, a contract research organization that provides LC/MS-based services to the pharmaceutical and biotech industries. Scientists at Alturas are using an Eksigent micro LC solution along with AB SCIEX QTRAP technology for an integrated quantitative/qualitative approach (1c).

Strategic Partnerships

Eksigent HPLC systems are fully supported by AB SCIEX Global Services. AB SCIEX engineers are vendor-certified on the complete Eksigent HPLC series to ensure the highest quality service (1a).

Dr. Tetsuya Terasaki and his research team at Tohoku University, Japan, have identified and quantified several ranges of key functional proteins that act as drug transporters such as UGT proteins and cytochrome P450 using complicated matrices along with enzymes that either deactivate or activate drugs induced into the body. The scientists selected the Eksigent cHiPLC-nanoflex system and the AB SCIEX TripleTOF5600 system which enable to solve the limitations that which existed previously. Pharmaceutical researchers have achieved only 5% success in the clinical trials for anti-cancer drugs. In order to increase this success percentage, Japanese research team, headed by Dr. Terasaki has identified a new method to overcome the complications of producing effective drugs against diseases such as cancer (5).

Innovation and Technology

In 2012, AB SCIEX introduced the Eksigent ekspert nanoLC 400 system, a liquid chromatography system that provides plug-and-play interchangeability between micro LC and nano LC on the same platform. This feature of the new Eksigent ekspert nanoLC 400 system facilitates rapid switching between high-throughput targeted peptide quantitation and high-sensitivity discovery proteomics employed in cutting-edge biological studies. The new system enhances the efficacy of the discovery proteomics workflows by delivering the superior separation quality and consistency (4).

In 2013, Eksigent announced new software module supporting 21CFR Part 11 and a new IQ/OQ/PQ service to the Eksigent line of liquid chromatography solutions gives pharmaceutical companies, contract research organizations and other high-throughput laboratories the opportunity to use a validated approach to micro LC for increasing sensitivity and speed while reducing the cost of running a laboratory. Regulated bioanalytical labs have been looking for ways to improve productivity and efficiency for their ADME and bioanalysis assays but haven't been able to take advantage of micro LC because of the lack of tools and precedence to integrate it into an existing lab that follows GLP regulations. The new 21CFR Part 11 module and the new service to qualify the LC system for GLP solve this dilemma for regulated labs by eliminating any doubt that a micro LC solution can be configured to meet required rules and regulations (1c).

Products

• High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) Systems
• CHIP HPLC Systems
• MALDI Spotter
• HPLC Columns
• HPLC Software
• Mass Spectrometry Products (1b).

Sources

Eksigent Technologies (2012). Retrieved on September 29, 2013

“Services” from www.eksigent.com/services

“HPLC” from www.eksigent.com/hplc-products

"AB SCIEX Drives Expanded Use of Micro LC for Regulated Bioanalysis with Enhanced Eksigent Software and Services” from www.eksigent.com/company/news-room/ab-sciex-drives-expanded-use-of-micro-lc-for-regulated-bioanalysis-with-enhanced-eksigent-software-and-services

AZoNano (2013). “Eksigent Technologies LLC.” Retrieved on September 29, 2013 from www.azonano.com/suppliers.aspx?SupplierID=925

AZoNano (2010, February 17). “AB SCIEX Now Owns Liquid Chromatography Business of Eksigent.” Retrieved on September 29, 2013 from www.azonano.com/news.aspx?newsID=15994

AZoNano (2012, September 12). “AB SCIEX Introduces Eksigent ekspert nanoLC 400 System for Proteomics Research.” Retrieved on September 29, 2013 from www.azonano.com/news.aspx?newsID=25532

AZoNano (2011, August 4). “Researchers Combine Mass Spectrometry and NanoLC Technology to Enhance Drug Delivery.” Retrieved on September 29, 2013 from www.azonano.com/news.aspx?newsID=23150