Agilent Announces New Oligonucleotide Analysis Software for Biopharma Research

SANTA CLARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Agilent Technologies Inc. (NYSE: A) today announced the release of its MassHunter BioConfirm 12.0 software, which now supports data generated by Agilent high-resolution LC/MS for oligonucleotide purity analysis and sequence confirmation. MassHunter BioConfirm 12.0 will be on show at the 70th ASMS Conference on Mass Spectrometry and Allied Topics being held June 5 - 9, 2022 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Oligonucleotides are a class of molecules attracting increased interest as therapeutics in the biopharma industry. Oligonucleotides target gene expression through several mechanisms and offer considerable promise for addressing a wide range of diseases. However, challenges remain in developing oligonucleotide-based biotherapeutics, including finding ways to enhance their in vivo stability, more confidently and precisely target their delivery, and quickly confirm sequences.

Agilent MassHunter BioConfirm 12.0 software introduces enhancements to existing capabilities for protein analysis and adds support for oligonucleotide analysis. The addition of oligonucleotide support significantly extends the capabilities of MassHunter BioConfirm, adding critical functionality for assessing oligonucleotide purity and sequence confirmation – important analytical steps in the use of oligonucleotides for biotherapeutics and vaccine research and development.

"Customer requests for oligonucleotide analysis capabilities have been steadily increasing. With MassHunter BioConfirm 12.0, support for oligonucleotide analysis is available for the first time,” said Sudharshana Seshadri, vice president and general manager of Agilent’s Mass Spectrometry Division. “Agilent has a strong commitment to expanding its biopharma solutions, especially MS-based solutions. The addition of oligonucleotide support to MassHunter BioConfirm aligns with Agilent’s continued focus on the needs of our biopharma customers."

“I’m excited about the new oligonucleotide analysis package Agilent has developed. Identification of impurities and sequencing of oligonucleotides has previously been a slow and laborious process,” said Leo Joyce, Ph.D., senior chemist III at Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals. “The integrated BioConfirm 12.0 workflow is very easy to use and generates accurate results quickly. This software represents significant time and resource savings compared to the traditional approach.”

The new MassHunter BioConfirm 12.0 workflows allow researchers to identify full-length products and potential impurities. The innovative MS/MS-based sequence confirmation enables confirmation of oligonucleotide sequences in minutes instead of days or weeks of manual interpretation. MassHunter BioConfirm 12.0 also has the built-in flexibility for software customization to accommodate specific oligo nomenclatures and continues to provide support to ensure regulatory compliance and preservation of data integrity.

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