Experimental scrutiny and project timelines: an example

AZD0424 (Fig. 1) is a dual selective inhibitor of Src and Abl non-receptor tyrosine kinases being developed for clinical trial through a partnership between AstraZeneca and Cancer Research UK. Formulation, pre-formulation and development studies were performed at the Cancer Research UK Formulation Unit at the University of Strathclyde. Here the authors report an example where the proper use and interpretation of ‘forced degradation’ experiments (performed during the early development stages of a drug project) allowed analysts to quickly identify problems occurring at subsequent stages.