ABSTRACT
The challenge in modern drug discovery is not only to rapidly screen through large number of potential lead drug candidates, but also to find out as much information about these compounds as possible. This entry provides an overview of the value that early metabolite identification studies can give to a discovery program. Analytical techniques, available in the discovery phase, are described for the early characterization of metabolites, focusing on the use of liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry, and the advances in software programs to aid the analyst in critically and rapidly evaluating the data produced are also covered.
