People throughout the world depend on pharmaceutical drugs to remain healthy. Before pharmaceutical companies can sell their products to consumers, the product must pass FDA requirements. In simple terms, the FDA requires that a pharmaceutical drug performs as advertised and is safe to consume. Companies must perform extensive research on their product with the aid of laboratory professionals. These scientists will perform a variety of tests using analytical instruments, one of which being high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). An HPLC system should be in every pharmaceutical lab for a few reasons. Read our guide below to learn why the pharmaceutical industry uses HPLC regularly.
Superior Efficiency and Accuracy
When comparing HPLC with other chromatography methods, HPLC has two clear benefits: efficiency and accuracy. HPLC uses a liquid mobile phase allowing the testing process to go much faster. While the mixture’s velocity can vary based on its components, it’s still much faster than other methods such as gas chromatography. Additionally, many pharmaceutical drugs require gathering data about non-volatile materials. Analyzing non-volatile substances is one of HPLC’s strengths, and most labs will use another instrument to analyze volatile substances.
HPLC Can Elucidate Formulations
Scientists regularly look for clarity and purity during pharmaceutical analysis. Modern HPLC machines can elucidate mixtures. The elucidation process allows lab technicians to easily identify impurities in the pharmaceutical’s compounds. Pharmaceutical drugs rely on complex, accurate, and pure components. A single impurity could lead to a consumer getting sick or requiring medical attention.
HPLC Pairs Well with Other Research Methods
As we eluded to earlier, HPLC isn’t the only instrument pharmaceutical labs will use. In fact, most pharmaceutical labs use several analytical instruments during research including gas chromatography, mass spectrometry, titrators, and rheometers. HPLC certainly has its strengths, but it also has its weaknesses which are balanced by the other instruments. For instance, HPLC is especially good at analyzing non-volatile substances but gas chromatography is good at analyzing volatile substances.
Now that you understand why the pharmaceutical industry uses HPLC, you need an HPLC system if you don’t have one already. Whether you’re an external lab that supports pharmaceutical companies or you’re trying to develop a lab in-house at your company, HPLC is a must-have. Luckily, you don’t need to break the bank to get high-quality lab equipment.
Buying refurbished analytical instruments is the best way to save money while getting exceptional equipment. Refurbished doesn’t mean the machine is broken, especially when you purchase from GenTech Scientific. Our refurbishing team consists of industry experts that bring the instruments back to industry standard specs and replacing any faulty parts. We regularly have plenty of high-performance liquid chromatography systems for sale. Contact our team today for questions or to request pricing. We look forward to serving you.
