Fluence Analytics launches new patented protein and polymer stability monitoring product

Oct 16 2017

New Instrument Continuously Analyzes Protein and Natural Polymer Aggregation

Fluence Analytics, a manufacturer of realtime, industrial and laboratory monitoring systems, today announced the launch of ARGEN, a patented protein and polymer stability monitoring product. By utilizing continuous light scattering measurements, ARGEN yields a unique information stream which reduces discovery and formulation and development times. For more than a year, Fluence Analytics worked with university partners, biopharmaceutical companies and industry leaders during beta testing to improve ARGEN’s measurements, user experience and software features.

ARGEN is engineered for precise, individual control of thermal and mechanical stressors of each of its 16 independent sample cells. By continuously analyzing the state of samples, ARGEN provides novel time series datasets with quantitative insights into the early detection of aggregation, degradation and particle formation. ARGEN allows users to swap samples in and out during experiments without affecting ongoing measurements in other cells. ARGEN data can also optimize lower throughput, standard characterization tests such as SEC.

“ARGEN’s proprietary technology was honed through years of laboratory experimentation and development,” says Michael Drenski, CTO of Fluence Analytics. “Today, ARGEN is the only instrument on the market that allows for the simultaneous, stressor dependent testing of 16 samples. This capability significantly accelerates research and development efforts for biopharmaceuticals and other materials.”

ARGEN uses Total Intensity Light Scattering to characterize the stability of proteins, polymers and other natural products by measuring changes in molecular weight. The instrument includes commercial control and analysis software that enables users to configure, monitor and manipulate experiment conditions in real time. The software also offers the ability to analyze past or current experiments and determine the aggregation rate of any sample.

“ARGEN is an excellent complement to historically mainstream techniques for monitoring and quantifying aggregation in the pharmaceutical industry and has become a mainstay in my laboratory,” says Prof. Christopher Roberts of U. of Delaware. Prof. Roberts’ group was an early adopter of ARGEN, using it to study proteins.

“I have searched more than a decade for an analytical tool to provide insight into both the mechanism and rate of protein aggregation. ARGEN is the first instrument that I have used which can detect early-stage aggregation in real time while providing aggregation information under both thermal and interfacial stress,” says Dr. Danny Chou, President of Compassion Biosolution. “Today, ARGEN is the most versatile protein analytical tool of which I am aware.” Dr. Chou is a veteran of the biopharmaceutical industry with more than 15 years of experience in protein formulation development, protein analytical technology and drug delivery.