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19 July 2021 | Story Lunga Luthuli | Photo Supplied
Fletcher Hiten, Chief Bioanalyst at FARMOVS, next to Aurora.

The Bioanalytical Services Division (BASD) at FARMOVS comprises a group of skilled and passionate scientists involved in the quantification of drugs, metabolites, and biomarkers in various biological matrices. One of their Analytical Science experts, Fletcher Hiten, explains what sets their team apart from the rest.

“Over the past 47 years, we have developed almost 600 validated assay methods. Most of these methods are for the analysis of ‘small’ molecules using chromatographic techniques such as LC-MS/MS, GC-MS, and HPLC, although LC-MS/MS is the technique of choice. New bioanalytical assays are continuously being development and validated in adherence to international regulatory guidelines set by the US-FDA and European Medicines Agency (EMA),” says Hiten.

“Recently, we decided to enhance our capabilities by recruiting exceptional talent. The newest member of the FARMOVS team is Aurora, a SCIEX Triple Quad™ 7500 LC-MS/MS mass analyser. Aurora is Latin for ‘dawn’: the beginning of a new era, especially one considered favourable. The SCIEX 7500 is currently marketed as the most sensitive triple quadrupole mass spectrometer available, allowing for sub-picogram/ml quantification. This means that Aurora will set FARMOVS apart from other clinical research organisations (CROs), creating an exciting and favourable landscape for clients to explore new partners in research.” 

Hiten stated: “If there was ever a time to move your next study to FARMOVS, it is now. To have Aurora on our team has many advantages, given that our clients can access unprecedented analytical sensitivity, which enables the quantification of pharmacokinetic (PK) profiles of drugs that have very low systemic absorption. These include predominantly local acting drugs, such as plasma concentrations of respiratory drugs (e.g., tiotropium and ipratropium), topically applied creams and ointments, and ophthalmology drops with ultra-sensitivity.”

“In addition, the quantification of drugs in low-volume matrices will also be exponentially enhanced, enabling the quantification of body fluids, where only a few microlitres can be collected, for example vaginal fluid, dried blood spots, cerebrospinal fluid, aqueous humour, synovial fluid, and epidermal micro-dialysis lysate – to name a few. The quantification of absorbed exogenous drugs into tissue, like vaginal biopsies and hair follicles, is also possible,” added Hiten. 

“And finally, multiple analyte analysis. In this case, the collected blood sample needs to be split into multiple aliquots for analysis, for example drug-drug interaction (DDI) studies with the Basel cocktail. The smaller sample volumes will allow more frequent sampling to be feasible and thus more accurate DDI interpretation,” Hiten explains.

“As a bio-analyst, one is seldom surprised. However, Aurora has already opened doors to new frontiers for our entire team and we cannot wait to do some more exploration,” says Hiten. 

To find out more about what Aurora and the FARMOVS team can do for your study, email business@farmovs.com

News Archive

Symbolism and naming in spotlight at NSSA conference
2016-10-06

Description: NSSA LN Read More Tags: NSSA LN Read More

From the left, front: Prof Nhlanhla Mathonsi,
President of the NSSA, and Prof Thenjiwe Meyiwa,
Registrar at DUT.
Left, back (from the UFS): Prof Peter Raper,
Research Fellow at the ULFE and executive
member of the scientific council and paper
selection committee, Prof Theodorus du Plessis,
Director of the Unit for Language Facilitation
and Empowerment, and JC van der Merwe,
acting Director of the Institute for
Reconciliation and Social Justice.
Photo: Supplied

The 19th Names Society of Southern Africa (NSSA) International Conference saw delegates from around the world make their way to the University of the Free State (UFS) Bloemfontein Campus to study names as well as naming systems.

The conference took place from 20 to 22 September and was organised by the Unit for Language Facilitation and Empowerment (ULFE) at the UFS, alongside the NSSA. Delegates from South Africa, Lesotho, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Germany, and Taiwan attended.

The NSSA is a society dedicated to the study of names, naming, and naming systems. Members of the society come from a variety of disciplines, but all share an interest in names and their meaning.

Symbolism and naming in public sphere

The topic of this year’s conference was Symbolism and Instrumentality in Naming with categories of research which included anthroponyms, geographical names, names in history, literary onomastics, brand names, and politics of naming in a public sphere.

Issue of gender in naming systems

Keynote speakers included Prof Thenjiwe Meyiwa, Registrar at the Durban University of Technology (DUT), and Prof Peter Raper, Professor Extraordinaire at the UFS, Research Fellow at the ULFE, and executive member of the scientific council and paper selection committee.

In her address entitled, Naming is to gender as gender is to naming: Emerging Onomastics Scholarship, Prof Meyiwa noted that analysing names using gender enquiry is a potentially useful tool for identifying various communities’ values, belief systems, and perceptions as it relates to sexes.

“The talk called for the development of what I refer to as ‘feminist onomastics theory and research practice,’ which should primarily seek to bring about change and/or reimagine onomastics research."

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