GE Healthcare's FTA DMPK cards for the collection and storage of blood samples for use in pharmacokinetic and toxicokinetic (PK/TK) studies store the samples as dried blood spots (DBS). They are applicable across the complete drug discovery and development process.
The lower required blood volumes of 10-20µl, compared with traditional approaches needing up to 500µl, support serial sampling, which the company says leads to enhanced data consistency and a reduction in the number of animals required per study.
GE says FTA DMPK cards reduce workflow time because the procedure for blood sample processing is greatly simplified.
For all card types the resultant DBS samples can be stored and shipped at room temperature. FTA DMPK-A and FTA DMPK-B cards also inactivate viruses and prevent bacterial contamination, which makes the handling and shipping of samples safer and more straightforward.
For analysis, sample discs are taken from the cards using a manual or automatic punch, from which the compounds of interest are extracted and analysed.