Waters Corporation (NYSE: WAT) has introduced the Waters Xevo Charge Detection Mass Spectrometer (CDMS), a groundbreaking innovation that delivers unmatched measurement and characterization capabilities for mega-mass biomolecules crucial to next-generation therapeutics and structural biology. As the biopharmaceutical industry advances with the rapid growth of cell and gene therapies, mRNA treatments, and complex protein therapeutics, researchers are confronted with increasing challenges in analyzing large, heterogeneous drug modalities—challenges that traditional analytical tools cannot adequately address due to limitations in resolution, sensitivity, and regulatory compliance. The Xevo CDMS System bridges these gaps by enabling direct, individual-particle mass measurement of molecules exceeding 150 megadaltons (MDa), offering unprecedented analytical performance for protein complexes, nucleic acids, lipid nanoparticles, and viral vectors.
According to Udit Batra, Ph.D., President and CEO of Waters Corporation, the launch of the Xevo CDMS reflects the company’s continued strategic investment in large-molecule analysis. He emphasized that the system represents a “first-of-its-kind” advancement, capable of analyzing molecules that were previously unmeasurable, thereby accelerating the global development of genetic medicines and other advanced modalities. By providing scientists with deeper insights into the characteristics of large molecules early in development, the Xevo CDMS will help make life-changing therapies more accessible to patients. The system’s capability to confidently analyze emerging modalities such as empty, partial, and full viral vector capsids using up to 100 times less sample volume than conventional techniques, while delivering results in under ten minutes even at concentrations as low as 10¹⁰ vp/mL, represents a major step forward for real-time characterization in gene therapy process development. This efficiency not only enhances the accuracy and speed of analysis but also eliminates the need for complex deconvolution or digestion steps, simplifying workflows and improving reliability from research through regulatory approval and manufacturing.
Timothy Fenn, Ph.D., Vice President of Analytical Development and Quality Control at Lexeo Therapeutics, highlighted the transformative impact of the Xevo CDMS on analytical workflows, describing it as a “game-changer” that enables scientists to generate accurate, reproducible results within minutes while exploring new scientific questions. At the core of this innovation is the Electrostatic Linear Ion Trap (ELIT), a novel technology that directly measures individual ions by simultaneously determining their mass-to-charge ratio and mass. Originally developed at Indiana University by Distinguished Professors Martin Jarrold and David Clemmer, and commercialized through Megadalton Solutions, the technology was acquired by Waters in 2022 to accelerate its integration into commercial products. The Xevo CDMS System operates seamlessly with GxP-ready waters_connect™ Software to ensure compliance and reliability across regulated environments and is now available for order worldwide, marking a major leap in the field of large-molecule mass spectrometry and biotherapeutic characterization.
ABOUT: Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT) is a global leader in analytical instruments, separations technologies, and software, serving the life, materials, food, and environmental sciences for over 65 years. Our Company helps ensure the efficacy of medicines, the safety of food and the purity of water, and the quality and sustainability of products used every day. In over 100 countries, our 7,600+ passionate employees collaborate with customers in laboratories, manufacturing sites, and hospitals to accelerate the benefits of pioneering science.
