QPS Strengthens Elemental Bioanalysis Capabilities with Acquisition of Two NexION 2200 ICP-MS Systems
QPS Holdings, LLC (QPS), a global contract research organization supporting pharmaceutical and drug development programs, has announced a major investment in its elemental bioanalysis infrastructure with the acquisition of two PerkinElmer NexION® 2200 inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) systems. The new analytical instruments will be installed at QPS’s laboratories in the Netherlands and will replace two Agilent 7700 ICP-MS systems currently used by the company’s bioanalysis department.
The equipment upgrade represents an important step in QPS’s broader strategy to maintain modern, reliable and sustainable analytical capabilities across its global laboratory network. By renewing its ICP-MS infrastructure, QPS aims to strengthen its ability to perform sensitive trace-element analysis, address analytical interferences and process challenging biological sample matrices while maintaining efficient laboratory workflows.
The investment is designed not simply as a replacement of aging laboratory equipment, but as part of a comprehensive technology renewal program. In addition to installing the new instruments, QPS is implementing activities that include instrument qualification, analytical method transfer, workflow optimization, employee training and long-term lifecycle management. This integrated approach is intended to ensure that the upgraded infrastructure can support both current client programs and future drug development requirements.
Enhancing Trace-Element Bioanalysis
ICP-MS is an important analytical technology for detecting and quantifying elements at very low concentrations. Within pharmaceutical and bioanalytical research, the technique can be used when highly sensitive and selective measurements of elemental components are required, particularly in complex biological matrices.
Elemental analysis can play an important role in a variety of drug development programs. Depending on the nature of a study, analytical teams may need to evaluate elements present in biological samples, investigate elemental exposure or characterize the behavior of specific compounds and their components. The ability to obtain reliable measurements at trace concentrations is therefore an important capability for organizations supporting pharmaceutical research and development.
The NexION 2200 platform was selected by QPS to provide a renewed technology base for these applications. According to the company, the system offers capabilities designed to support trace-element analysis, management of analytical interferences and reliable performance when working with difficult sample matrices.
Complex biological samples can present analytical challenges because naturally occurring components may interfere with the detection or quantification of target elements. Robust analytical systems and appropriately developed methods are therefore necessary to generate dependable results that can support scientific decision-making and regulated studies.
By introducing two new NexION 2200 systems, QPS expects to strengthen its capacity to address these requirements while improving operational consistency within its Netherlands bioanalysis laboratories.
Controlled Implementation and Qualification
QPS Netherlands will introduce the new instruments through a controlled implementation process. Installation and qualification activities are being conducted to establish that the systems perform as intended before they are fully incorporated into routine laboratory operations.
Existing analytical methods will also undergo assessment as part of the transition. Depending on the intended application and regulatory status of an individual method, QPS will use appropriate comparability, bridging or validation activities.
This approach is designed to minimize disruption to ongoing studies while ensuring that methods transferred to the new instrumentation remain suitable for their intended purpose. Maintaining continuity is particularly important for pharmaceutical development programs, where analytical data may be generated over extended periods and methods may need to be applied consistently across different stages of a study.
A carefully managed transition can also help QPS establish a reliable foundation for new method development and validation activities. As clients pursue increasingly complex development programs, laboratories must be able to adapt analytical workflows while maintaining appropriate quality and regulatory standards.
Fred van Heuveln, QPS Director of Bioanalysis, highlighted the importance of ICP-MS within the company’s analytical services.
“ICP-MS is an important part of our bioanalytical offering, particularly for programs requiring sensitive and selective quantification of elements in complex biological matrices,” van Heuveln said.
He explained that replacing both existing systems simultaneously will allow QPS to establish an upgraded analytical platform capable of supporting efficient method deployment and sample analysis. The renewed infrastructure is also intended to provide greater flexibility as client requirements and analytical needs evolve.
Two-System Configuration Provides Greater Flexibility
The decision to install two NexION 2200 systems is expected to provide QPS with operational flexibility as well as redundancy.
Maintaining multiple instruments based on the same technology platform can be valuable for laboratories managing multiple studies and changing analytical workloads. When several instruments use standardized technology, analytical teams can potentially move workflows between systems more efficiently when scheduling requirements, instrument availability or project volumes change.
Standardization can also simplify staff training, equipment maintenance and technical support. Employees working with a consistent platform can develop expertise that can be applied across both instruments, reducing the complexity associated with supporting multiple generations or configurations of equipment.
For QPS, this two-system approach is expected to help manage study schedules while providing additional capacity for changing analytical demands. It can also support continuity of operations when one instrument requires maintenance or qualification activities.
Standardization may further facilitate method transfer between instruments because the laboratory can establish common workflows and operating procedures around the same analytical platform.
Investment Extends QPS’s Bioanalytical Infrastructure
Daniel Schulz-Jander, QPS Senior Director of Bioanalysis, described the project as a strategic renewal rather than a straightforward equipment replacement.
“This initiative represents more than an equipment replacement,” Schulz-Jander said. He emphasized that the investment is intended to ensure QPS continues to have access to advanced technology capable of delivering sensitive and robust analytical solutions for client projects.
The upgrade reflects the company’s broader commitment to maintaining modern analytical infrastructure across its laboratory facilities. For a contract research organization, laboratory technology is a key component of its ability to support pharmaceutical and biotechnology customers throughout drug development.
Analytical requirements can vary significantly between programs, with different compounds, biological matrices and study objectives requiring different approaches. Maintaining flexible and capable instrumentation allows laboratories to support a broad range of development activities.
QPS’s investment in the NexION 2200 systems is therefore expected to support both established analytical services and emerging requirements associated with new drug development programs.
More Than Two Decades of ICP-MS Experience
QPS Netherlands brings more than 20 years of experience in ICP-MS-based bioanalysis to the implementation of the new instruments. This established expertise provides the company with a foundation for transitioning its existing capabilities to the new platform.
The laboratory’s elemental bioanalysis services include total, free and trace elemental analysis. QPS Netherlands also supports liquid chromatography coupled with ICP-MS (LC-ICP-MS) applications.
LC-ICP-MS can provide additional analytical capabilities by combining chromatographic separation with elemental detection. Such applications can be useful for investigations involving elemental speciation, stability and metabolite-related studies.
These capabilities allow QPS to support analytical questions that extend beyond simply determining the total concentration of an element. Depending on the study, understanding how an element is distributed among different chemical species or how its profile changes over time can provide additional information relevant to a development program.
The company’s experience with these techniques is expected to support the effective implementation of the NexION 2200 systems and the transfer of existing analytical workflows.
Supporting Future Drug Development Programs
The equipment renewal comes at a time when pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies continue to demand sophisticated analytical services to support increasingly complex development programs. Contract research organizations must therefore maintain laboratory infrastructure that is capable of meeting current regulatory expectations while remaining adaptable to future scientific requirements.
QPS’s broader technology renewal program is focused on maintaining reliable mass spectrometry capabilities across its global facilities. The initiative includes not only instrument acquisition but also qualification, training, workflow optimization and lifecycle management.
This broader approach is intended to maximize the long-term value of the investment. Rather than viewing laboratory instrumentation as a standalone capital purchase, QPS is incorporating the new systems into an ongoing infrastructure management strategy.
Installation, qualification and phased implementation of the two NexION 2200 systems are currently underway at QPS Netherlands, with completion scheduled for the third quarter of 2026.
Once fully implemented, the systems are expected to provide QPS with a renewed platform for elemental bioanalysis, supporting ongoing studies and future method development activities. The combination of modern instrumentation, established scientific expertise and standardized workflows will strengthen the company’s ability to deliver elemental analysis for pharmaceutical and biotechnology clients.
Overall, the acquisition of the two NexION 2200 ICP-MS systems represents a significant investment in QPS’s analytical infrastructure. By replacing its existing Agilent 7700 systems with a standardized, two-instrument platform, QPS aims to improve operational flexibility, strengthen analytical reliability and maintain continuity across client programs. The initiative also reinforces the company’s commitment to advanced bioanalysis and its long-term strategy of providing high-quality analytical solutions for both traditional and emerging drug development programs.
ABOUT QPS HOLDINGS, LLC
QPS is a global, full-service, GLP/GCP-compliant contract research organization (CRO) delivering the highest grade of discovery, bioanalysis, preclinical and clinical drug development services. Since 1995, QPS has grown from a small bioanalysis shop into a full-service CRO with 1,200+ employees in the US, Europe, and Asia. Today, QPS offers expanded pharmaceutical contract R&D services with special expertise in pharmacology, DMPK, toxicology, bioanalysis, translational medicine, clinical trial units, central laboratory services, PBMC processing, and clinical research operations services.
An award-winning leader focused on bioanalysis and clinical trials, QPS is known for proven quality standards, technical expertise, a flexible approach to research, client satisfaction, and turnkey laboratories and facilities. Through continual enhancements in capacities and resources, QPS stands tall in its commitment to delivering superior quality, skilled performance, and trusted service to its valued customers.