The role of Ligand-Binding Assay and LC–MS in the Bioanalysis of Complex Protein and Oligonucleotide Therapeutics

Ligand-binding assay (LBA) and LC–MS have been the preferred bioanalytical techniques for the quantitation and biotransformation assessment of various therapeutic modalities. This review provides an overview of the applications of LBA, LC–MS/MS and LC–HRMS for the bioanalysis of complex protein therapeutics including antibody–drug conjugates, fusion proteins and PEGylated proteins as well as oligonucleotide therapeutics. The strengths and limitations of LBA and LC–MS, along with some guidelines on the choice of appropriate bioanalytical technique(s) for the bioanalysis of these therapeutic modalities are presented. With the discovery of novel and more complex therapeutic modalities, there is an increased need for the biopharmaceutical industry to develop a comprehensive bioanalytical strategy integrating both LBA and LC–MS.