Today, pharmaceutical development company BASi (Bioanalytical Systems, Inc.) announced a collaboration with Pinnacle Technology, Inc. for proof-of-concept studies that will combine BASi’s Culex NxT automated blood sampling system with Pinnacle’s glucose sensor, creating a new option for high-quality data collection for diabetes and other glucose research.
Pharmaceutical companies throughout the world have focused intense efforts on developing new treatments for diabetes, with most of the studies relying on external monitors to measure test subjects’ glucose levels. Resultantly, researchers must handle the subjects in order to obtain blood samples, causing stress that can alter glucose readings. BASi’s approach, on the other hand, has the key advantages of both blood sampling automation – made possible by the company’s Culex NxT – and accurate glucose level monitoring through Pinnacle’s glucose sensor, with no net blood removal from test subjects. This enables researchers to take numerous glucose readings without negative effects on the test subjects, resulting in glucose readings that are more accurate than is possible with manual sampling. The system additionally reduces study costs by enabling researchers to conduct pharmacokinetic, metabolism, telemetry, or microdialysis studies from one set of test subjects, as opposed to using three or four sets.
Initially built to monitor neurological glucose levels, Pinnacle Technology’s glucose sensor was adapted to work with the Culex system. The engineering team from BASi has developed a new tubing set for the Culex NxT that has a built-in sensor interface, allowing the sensor to be placed into the bloodstream without any stress to test subjects. Great interest has been shown in this glucose monitoring system by leading diabetes research teams, and the two companies plan to work with them in publishing data from the proof-of-concept studies.
For more information, contact Brad Gien, BASi Discovery Services scientist PK/PD, by calling (765) 497-8491. Further information about BASi can be found online at www.BASinc.com, and information about Pinnacle Technology is available at www.pinnaclet.com.
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