Using hydrogen exchange mass spectrometry to confirm biopharmaceuticals
Biopharmaceuticals, also known as biologics, are the fastest growing sector of the pharmaceutical industry and most people living today will probably take a biopharmaceutical or know someone who takes one. Most of us are more familiar with small molecule drugs, such as aspirin, Claritin, or Lipitor, which usually consist of fewer than 100 atoms, and are created in a series of easily reproduced chemical reactions. On the other hand, biopharmaceuticals, such as insulin (a small protein), Enbrel (a fusion protein), and Humira (a monoclonal antibody), contain thousands of atoms. It is much more difficult to make them and to confirm that they were made correctly. John R. Engen, a professor of chemistry and chemical biology at Northeastern University, utilizes a technique called hydrogen exchange mass spectrometry to make confirmation a much more feasible task. His work was recently highlighted in the journal Biopharm International.