Novagenix use PEAK nitrogen generators in COVID-19 drug discovery research

Novagenix Bioanalytical Pharmaceuticals R&D Inc, based in Ankara, Turkey, has been established as a bioavailability / bioequivalence (BY / BE) center for determining and certifying the efficacy and quality of drugs in Turkey. As well as bioavailability / bioequivalence studies, it operates in areas such as generic product drug R&D, formulation development, analytical method development, CTD preparation, herbal product analysis, yes-no analysis, chemical cosmetic segmentation, food supplement production and medical device production.

Name: Onursal Saglam

Job title: General Manager

Company: Novagenix Bioanalytical Drug R&D Centre

Country: Turkey

Onursal Saglam with the Infinity XE 5011

Novagenix purchased their PEAK gas generators through our trusted Shimadzu distributor, Ant Teknik. Ant Teknik are also based in Turkey and PEAK have worked with them for many years, both contributing to meaningful customer success for Shimadzu instrument users in Turkey.

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We spoke to Mr Onursal Saglam about his experience with PEAK generators, here is what he had to say.

What is the focus of your research?

We focus on bioavailability and bioequivalence studies that are a part of pharma R&D and are needed for the licensing of generic drugs in Turkey. Our services include the clinical design, bioassay, biostatistics and reporting processes. In addition, we provide analytical method development services for the quality control departments of pharmaceutical factories.

Can you provide a brief overview of how this will impact the treatment of COVID-19?

The drug with active substance "favipiravir", which has been used in the treatment of influenza in Japan for many years, was included in the Covid-19 treatment protocol by the Republic of Turkey Ministry of Health. When it came to the agenda that the drug was produced by domestic pharma companies in April 2020, Novagenix completed its bioequivalence studies. These studies were successfully completed for eight different companies between May and August 2020.

Typically what is the focus of your LC-MS analysis - what sort of applications?

Determination of drug active substance concentration in human biofluids (whole blood, serum, plasma, urine etc.).

What PEAK Scientific generators do you have in your laboratory and what LC-MS instruments do they supply?

We are using PEAK Scientific Genius (1050) and Infinity XE (5011) Series Nitrogen Generators for gas supply for Shimadzu LCMS-8040 (2 pcs), LCMS-8050 and LCMS-8060 LC/MS-MS instruments.

Genius 1050 nitrogen generator

What prompted you to choose a PEAK generator for LC-MS and how long have you used it?

PEAK Scientific generators are easy to use and maintain. We have been using them for more than 15 years.

What has been the key benefit of deploying PEAK generators for LC-MS as opposed to your previous gas supply solution?

First of all, the frequency of malfunctions is very low. For this reason, the loss of work is less compared to other gas generators. In addition, it is compatible with new LC/MS-MS technologies thanks to continuous improvements.

How would you describe your purchasing experience with Ant Teknik in terms of speed of response, ease of ordering, catering for your needs and timing of delivery?

I can describe every staff of Ant Teknik as on-time, responsive and easy to communicate.

Would you recommend PEAK Scientific generators to other laboratories - and if so, what would be your main reason for the recommendation?

Yes, sure I recommend PEAK Scientific generators to other laboratories. They are cost effective.

On-site gas generators and COVID-19 lab safety

PEAK is proud to be a supporter of labs working on Covid treatments like Novagenix. As well as supporting the fight against Covid in drug discovery, having a PEAK generator in the lab can also reduce the spread of Covid-19.

For labs with strict outside contact policies in place, limiting third party contact in order to protect their members of staff, regular cylinder deliveries and installations are no longer viable due to the risks of Covid-19 contact transmission. A PEAK in-house gas generator only requires a one-time delivery and one time annual servicing, granting lab personnel the independence to operate the unit by themselves without the assistance or supply provision from third parties, thereby limiting contact to their employees.

Covid-19 has had a major impact on how a lab operates. Personnel well-being as well as safe access to a reliable gas supply are now even greater priorities for analytical facilities and indeed all institutions. This is why a gas generator which supplies, a continuous and reliable flow of gas, is an essential component for any modern laboratory. 

Read more about how on-site gas generators can help mitigate these concerns by making your lab more independent, free of outside contact, for a safer and more efficient work environment.

Infinity XE 5011 provides a reliable source of nitrogen gas

It was extremely important for Novagenix to have equipment they could rely on when conducting their research into COVID-19 drug discovery. That’s why a PEAK Scientific gas generator was the perfect solution, in particularly our Infinity range of generators.

Infinity XE 5011 nitrogen generator

The Infinity XE 5011 generator which was used in this case, can produce between 10-130 L/min of high quality, laboratory grade nitrogen gas, and can comfortably supply gas for multiple laboratory instruments. With variable nitrogen purity available between 95-99.5% (depending on flow rate), Infinity XE generators can be configured to suit the needs of several applications, such as LC-MS, ELSD, Sample Preparation & more.

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Mr Onursal Saglam has shared how PEAK gas generators have helped him conduct his COVID-19 drug discovery research. He explained that the Infinity XE 5011 and Genius 1050 are cost effective, easy to use and maintain, there is very little downtime and therefore minimum disruption in the lab, compared to other brands of gas generators they have used in the past.

Mr Saglam was impressed by PEAK's ability to be compatible with the latest LC/MS-MS technologies in the market today, due to PEAK's commitment to continuous improvement and innovation. For these reasons, as well as PEAK's partnership with Ant Teknik, Novagenix has chosen PEAK as their gas generator of choice, for the past 15 years.

Read more about Mr Onursal Saglam’s research:

Single Dose, Two-way Crossover Bioequivalence Study of Favipiravir Tablet in Healthy Male Subjects