Almac Invests in Expanding Global Biologics Testing Solutions

Almac Sciences, a member of the Almac Group, has further expanded its biologics testing laboratory with a significant £500,000 (US$686,294)-investment in mass spectrometry equipment, the company said in a Jan. 26, 2021 press release.

The company invested in a Thermo Orbitrap liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC–MS) instrument, which substantially increases the company’s capabilities in solving biologic analytical challenges. The instrument is capable of offering a complete analysis package to current good manufacturing practices (CGMP), including amino acid sequencing, peptide mapping, disulfide bridge analysis using MS and tandem MS (MS/MS), glycosylation analysis, identification of post-translational modifications (e.g., acetylation), phosphorylation, and biomarker discovery.

The new high-resolution mass spectrometer has been installed at Almac’s global headquarters in Northern Ireland and will support its biologics offering for the analysis of peptides, proteins, glycoproteins, and antibody products. The instrument adds to the existing industry support at the company’s new biologic testing laboratory in Athlone, Ireland, which was just announced three months earlier and which supports quality control release and characterization of biologics.

The additional service this new instrument offers will provide an extended range of MS services, including the quantitation of genotoxic impurities, structure elucidation, isotopic purity determinations, and high-resolution MS of both large and small molecules. The addition also further complements the range of analytical services offered by Almac’s global analytical testing facilities in the United Kingdom, Ireland, and North America.

“This new mass spectrometer reinforces Almac’s vision of delivering the best for our customers and substantially enhances the level and depth of services we provide,” said John Robson, vice-president Analytical Services, Almac Sciences, in the press release.

Source: Almac Group