Sreelakshmy Menon

Here we describe a simple and robust high performance liquid chromatography–diode array detection (HPLC–DAD) method for the simultaneous determination of methotrexate (MTX) and sulphasalazine (SSZ) from plasma. MTX and SSZ are used in combination for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. Using two detector wavelengths, 304 nm for MTX and 358 nm for SSZ, we were able to selectively quantitate both analytes during the same chromatographic run. The method was validated using quality control samples for critical analytical performance criteria of recovery, reproducibility, selectivity, accuracy, and precision.

Methotrexate and sulfasalazine are often used together to treat rheumatoid arthritis, so it is valuable to be able to monitor plasma levels of both drugs simultaneously. This method achieves that by using two detector wavelengths, 304 nm for methotrexate and 358 nm for sulfasalazine.