The COVID-19 virus outbreak is disrupting the way clinical studies are performed, but they may have a better chance of continuation when remote/home sampling can be performed. Because of the low volumes, microsampling can also be of great value for blood sampling of children and other vulnerable patient groups, whether or not it’s used in combination with remote/home sampling. Microsampling techniques that generate a dried sample are believed to be a good alternative for analytes that are unstable in blood or plasma. However, the analyte stability should still be carefully assessed. In addition, the method development and validation work are more elaborate compared to plasma as matrix.

Continuous research into the use of microsampling techniques and the development of new microsampling devices may lead to a new era of blood sampling. For example, the Tasso OnDemand microsampler is claimed to be the next step in easy (self-performed) microsampling. Obtaining experience with this device in both the laboratory and clinical setting will help the user to gain knowledge about the advantages and disadvantages. The robustness and practicality of the device should first be tested in the laboratory in order to make a thorough assessment.

Join this webinar for a discussion of the ideal applications of microsampling in clinical research, including details on how to evaluate sample stability.

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Speaker

Remco Koster, Associate Director of Bioanalytical Science, PRA Health Sciences

Remco Koster is Associate Director of Bioanalytical Science at the LC-MS/MS department at PRA Health Sciences in the Laboratory in Assen, The Netherlands. He’s responsible for the LC-MS/MS analytical method development and leads a team of method development analysts, scientists and scientific project managers. As global microsampling specialist within PRA, he is interested in all developments regarding microsampling and aims to continuously improve the use of microsampling techniques. In addition, he focuses on decreasing analytical runtimes in order to improve organizational and LC-MS/MS efficiency.

He has been working in the field of bioanalysis for 19 years, during which he has performed and supervised numerous analytical method developments using LC–MS/MS. He started his career in 2001 at Pharma Bio-Research (before it was acquired by PRA) as an LC-MS/MS analyst. In 2005, he moved to the University Medical Center Groningen where he focused on the development and validation of analytical methods for drugs and drugs of abuse in matrices like blood, plasma, hair, saliva, dried blood spots (DBS) and Mitra volumetric absorptive micro-sampling (VAMS) with LC-MS/MS. In 2015, he obtained his PhD on the subject, “The influence of the sample matrix on LC-MS/MS method development and analytical performance.”

He is a (co-)author of 39 publications and has given over 20 podium presentations at (inter)national conferences.

Message Presenter

Who Should Attend?

Scientists in the pharmaceutical industry and hospitals who develop and validate LC-MS/MS methods for small molecules
Research analysts and scientists with an interest in learning more about the possibilities and developments of microsampling
Project managers and outsourcing/procurement staff involved in bioanalysis supporting the development of drugs

What You Will Learn

When microsampling is a good choice in terms of stability and practicality
What to consider when evaluating stability
What to consider when choosing a specific microsampling technique/device
What to consider when evaluating a new microsampling device

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PRA Health Sciences

PRA Health Sciences recognizes that the world of drug development is complex and dynamic, and that’s why PRA has designed two laboratories to meet those challenges. PRA offers the highest quality services for pharmacokinetic, immunogenicity, biomarker analysis and CMC analysis, comprising a wide range of platforms for small molecules, large molecules and cell-based entities.

PRA’s Laboratories for Drug Development are managed, staffed, and supported by industry-leading experts who have the scientific knowledge and experience necessary to successfully deliver the most complex of studies.

The GLP & GMP compliant facilities in the USA and the Netherlands adhere to the latest global regulatory guidelines and expectations. PRA’s technology investments and innovative service offerings are key components to developing solutions for clients.

No one understands the daily pressure of tight deadlines better than the colleagues at PRA laboratories, because PRA realizes that behind every sample we analyze, a patient is waiting to be treated.