US-based Waters Corporation has introduced the first in a new line of size exclusion chromatography (SEC) columns aimed at improving the analysis while lowering the cost of gene therapies, specifically adeno-associated viral (AAV) vectors.

The new Waters™ XBridge™ Premier GTx BEH™ SEC columns doubles the speed of measuring the potency and safety of AAVs. Combining the columns with light scattering technologies from its Wyatt Technology portfolio deepens the level of information acquired from a single experiment and optimizes the manufacturing of these novel gene delivery vehicles.

"We are witnessing a revolution in medicine thanks to gene therapies like AAVs," said Erin Chambers, Vice President, Consumables and Lab Automation, Waters Corporation. "A small quantity of a gene therapy, such as one of the best-selling eye treatments, can retail for more than $400,000 per eye. This makes it imperative that process and formulation development tests measure multiple attributes of the drug at once while consuming as little of it as possible. It's why Waters' low adsorption, high-efficiency XBridge Premier GTx BEH SEC columns are such a good choice for process development, formulation studies, regulatory filing support, along with ongoing process monitoring as well as quality control."