Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry in the pharmaceutical industry: objectives and needs.

The role of liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) in the analysis of drugs is discussed. The main fields of application are thermally labile compounds, compounds with low volatility and compounds with rather high molecular weights, all of which are not generally suitable for analysis by combined gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The objectives, needs, limitations and abilities of LC-MS for the analysis of by-products, degradation products, traces of drug substances for pharmacokinetic studies and metabolites in complex matrices are presented. The LC-MS coupling is discussed as a sophisticated LC detector for sensitive and selective quantitative determinations or as an on-line sample-introduction system for the mass spectrometer to obtain structural information for identification or structural elucidation. LC-MS combined with a flow-switching technique can be used for the analysis of mixtures containing large amounts of components which otherwise would be detrimental to the LC-MS technique. With flow-injection techniques the LC-MS interface is used as a sample-introduction system with possibilities for sample preparation, sample clean-up and chemical derivatization.