Addressing the analytical throughput challenges in ADME screening using rapid ultra-performance liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry methodologies

High-throughput ADME screening for compound drug development properties has become an essential part of the modern drug discovery process, allowing more informed decisions to be made on the best compounds to take forward in the discovery/development process. This however is a time-consuming process requiring multiple tests to be performed, demanding a significant amount of liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS) instrument time. This article focuses on the use of sub-2 microm porous particle LC coupled to tandem quadrupole MS/MS mass spectrometry for the rapid screening of ADME properties. Using this approach analysis times from 30 s to 1 min were achievable allowing analysis times to be cut by 80%. The use of the small particles coupled to high flow rates allowed for sufficient resolution, even with very short analysis time, to resolve the analytes of interest from similar compounds that would interfere with the assay. The use of dedicated, intelligent, software packages allowed for the user-free generation of MS/MS conditions and the processing of the data.