DURHAM, NC: August 2005: The News & Observer

Enthalpy Analytical Finds A Lot In A Drop.

The expanding laboratory and research firm helps pharmaceutical and biotechnology clients determine the best dosage for experimental drugs, a critical step in drug development.

Clients mail in samples, including rat feces, animal tissue and human blood, that contain traces of an experimental drug. Durham-based Enthalpy determines the chemical's concentration in what is called a bioanalysis.

That helps the drug makers decide what dose they should use and how a patient's body is processing the substance.

But measuring tiny traces of a drug is harder than it sounds, said Todd Grosshandler, the company's co-founder. "There's thousands and thousands of other things in there."

Enthalpy's most-prized tool in the chemical treasure hunt is an ultrasensitive instrument the size of a desk. A turbocharged Porsche among bioanalytical tools, the instrument finds the equivalent of a drop of water in a 45 -foot-deep pool the size of a football field.

According to the manufacturer, Applied Biosystems of Foster City, Calif., no other company in the Triangle has the $500,000 instrument, called an API 5000. Grosshandler hopes having three will open doors, especially in the Research Triangle Park neighborhood.

Only one of the company's seven clients is in the Triangle. Enthalpy won't release all of their names, but one of the largest is from Korea.

"We have people fly in from Korea," Grosshandler said. "But around here, people don't know of us."

Founded in 1993 to test air emissions, Enthalpy added pharmaceutical services about three years ago and is winning business mostly through word of mouth.

This year, pharmaceutical testing is expected to contribute more than half of the profitable company's annual revenue, which is projected to exceed $3 million.

Rivals include Scynexis, a Durham company that helps pharmaceutical companies with the chemistry involved in creating a drug. Scynexis added contract bioanalytical services this year after attracting scientists previously with the Charles River laboratory in Morrisville.

Many of the large drug makers perform their own bioanalyses, said Terry Marquardt, Scynexis' business development director. "But bioanalytical can be a bottleneck."

Company labs can be overwhelmed with samples, which are taken to see how an experimental drug breaks down in the bodies of animals and humans participating in tests. Many chemicals are traced in the blood. But feces, urine or tissue samples are also used.

Enthalpy also competes against contract research organizations, also known as CROs, such as Wilmington-based PPD and Durham-based Quintiles.

But the bit player is holding its own. Enthalpy is looking to double its space to 20,000 square feet as soon as possible.

"We're really cramped," Grosshandler said. "We're doubling up offices."

The company, which employs 32, added five new employees this year and expects to hire another five over the next year.