One of the most important applications of ion chromatography
(IC) is to determine counterions in active
pharmaceutical ingredients (API) and drug products in the
pharmaceutical industry.1,2 Approximately 50% of all
drugs on the market are developed in salt forms.3,4 Certain
suboptimal physicochemical and biopharmaceutical
properties of APIs can be overcome by pairing a basic or
acidic drug molecule with a counterion to create a salt
version of the drug with high solubility, stable crystalline
form, and good bioavailability. Ion chromatography with
suppressed conductivity detection plays an important role
in the salt selection process to establish correct molecular
mass of the entity in early stages of drug development. Ion
chromatography can also be used in quality control to
verify identity, strength, and purity of ionic APIs.
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