Small Angle X-Ray Scattering of Pharmaceutical Drugs by Hecus

Topics Covered

Introduction
Analytical Innovations in Pharmaceutical Industry
Classic Analytical Methodologies Throughout History of Drug Discovery
New Challenges with the Age of Nanomaterials

Introduction

Hecus X-Ray Systems, founded in 1992, is traditionally specialized on innovative system solutions for X-Ray nanostructure analytics. The strong focus on small-angle X-ray methods - the Otto-Kratky heritage - serves a wide community of researchers and engineers, who need SAXS and related techniques as practical and reliable tools in their challenging laboratory practice, and who want to use the techniques routinely.

Analytical Innovations in Pharmaceutical Industry

In pharmaceutical industry, analytical innovations are just as important as the development of new products. Just consider the crucial roles played by chromatographic (e.g. HPLC, FPLC), spectroscopic (e.g. MR, MS) and thermodynamic methods.

Classic Analytical Methodologies Throughout History of Drug Discovery

Throughout the history of drug discovery, two analytical methodologies have been classics: thermal/calorimetric analysis, and X-ray diffraction. Already a century ago they have led to the discovery of a new class of materials, the liquid crystals. X-ray diffraction has always been indispensible in finding the structure of any new compound discovered, and DSC has become daily routine.

New Challenges with the Age of Nanomaterials

With the age of nanomaterials, structural and thermal analytics are faced with new challenges: it is not just the molecular structure that determines product quality, but their nanostructure: this determines important properties such as compactability, stability, bioavailability ect. Therefore, the normal techniques, e.g. of X-ray powder diffraction are no longer sufficient and have to be supplemented by a technique that has long been known, but largely ignored: X-ray small-angle scattering (SAXS), which allows the precise analysis of nanosize and shape.

With the advent of high-brilliance micro-X-ray sources, this has recently also found broader use in ‘normal’ research laboratories, not just on large synchrotrons. Moreover, the combination of this structure analytical technique with micro-calorimetry in one instrument has become feasible. The documentation of nanostructural and thermal properties of complex formulations, e.g. different amorphous states is becoming broadly accessible. This will certainly have enormous impact not just in discovery and development, but also on the creation of new IP and product value.

Source: Hecus X-Ray Systems

For more information on this source please visit Hecus X-Ray Systems.

Date Added: Nov 17, 2010
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