Imaging Mass Spectrometry (IMS) for drug discovery and development survey: Results on methods, applications and regulatory compliance.

Imaging mass spectrometry (IMS) is increasingly used for drug discovery and development to understand target enagement, tissue distribution, drug toxicity, and disease mechanisms, etc. However, this is still a relatively new technique that requires further development validation before it will be an acceptable technique to support regulated development of new drugs. Thus, best practices will need to be established to build more confidence and gain wider acceptance by the scientific community, pharmaceutical industry, and regulatory authorities. The Imaging Mass Spectrometry Society (IMSS) and the Japan Association for Imaging Mass Spectrometry (JAIMS) have conducted a thorough survey to gather information on the current state of IMS and to identify key issues. The survey was sent to researchers or managers in the position who are currently using IMS techniques in support of their drug discovery and development efforts and/or who plan to use such tools as best practices are established. The survey probes questions related to details regarding technical aspects of IMS, which includes data acquisition, data analysis and quantitation, data integrity, reporting, applications, and regulatory concerns. This international survey was conducted online through the Survey Monkey (https://www.surveymonkey.com) in both English and Japanese from September 14 through September 30, 2020.