Assessment of atmospheric solids analysis probe as a tool for the rapid determination of drug purity

Mathias, Simone; Burns, Daniel; Hambidge, Tabatha; McCullough, Bryan J.; Hopley, Chris J.; Douce, David; Sage, Ashley; Sears, Patrick

doi:10.1002/dta.3568

Cited by 3 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 36 publications

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“…Furthermore, these techniques are sufficiently sensitive, reproducible, and can be both qualitative and quantitative. , Although GC-MS instruments are not typically portable, some systems have been developed and purpose-built to be used in the field, including for analysis of illicit drugs. − However, when compared to spectroscopic methods, the chromatographic step means longer analysis times (7–15 min) hence low sample throughput, and the initial price and service costs make them potentially less viable for on-site drug analysis . That said, the advances in portable MS (including ambient ionization MS where no chromatographic step is used) have shown potential for identifying illicit compounds in samples without requiring significant knowledge or training in MS. ,− …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessment of a Single Quadrupole Mass Spectrometer Combined with an Atmospheric Solids Analysis Probe for the On-Site Identification of Amnesty Bin Drugs

Frinculescu,

Mercer,

Shine

et al. 2024

J. Am. Soc. Mass Spectrom.

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The surging number of people who abuse drugs has a great impact on healthcare and law enforcement systems. Amnesty bin drug analysis helps monitor the "street drug market" and tailor the harm reduction advice. Therefore, rapid and accurate drug analysis methods are crucial for on-site work. An analytical method for the rapid identification of five commonly detected drugs ((3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), cocaine, ketamine, 4-bromo-2,5-dimethoxyphenethylamine, and chloromethcathinone)) at various summer festivals in the U.K. was developed and validated employing a single quadrupole mass spectrometer combined with an atmospheric pressure solids analysis probe (ASAP-MS). The results were confirmed on a benchtop gas chromatography−mass spectrometry instrument and included all samples that challenged the conventional spectroscopic techniques routinely employed on-site. Although the selectivity/specificity step of the validation assessment of the MS system proved a challenge, it still produced 93% (N = 279) and 92.5% (N = 87) correct results when tested on-and off-site, respectively. A few "partly correct" results showed some discrepancies between the results, with the MS-only unit missing some low intensity active ingredients (N-ethylpentylone, MDMA) and cutting agents (caffeine, paracetamol, and benzocaine) or detecting some when not present. The incorrect results were mainly based on library coverage. The study proved that the ASAP-MS instrument can successfully complement the spectroscopic techniques used for qualitative drug analysis on-and off-site. Although the validation testing highlighted some areas for improvement concerning selectivity/specificity for structurally similar compounds, this method has the potential to be used in trend monitoring and harm reduction.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessment of a Single Quadrupole Mass Spectrometer Combined with an Atmospheric Solids Analysis Probe for the On-Site Identification of Amnesty Bin Drugs

Frinculescu,

Mercer,

Shine

et al. 2024

J. Am. Soc. Mass Spectrom.

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Ambient ionisation mass spectrometry for drug and toxin analysis: A review of the recent literature

Henderson,

Heaney,

Rankin‐Turner

2024

Drug Testing and Analysis

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Ambient ionisation mass spectrometry (AIMS) is a form of mass spectrometry whereby analyte ionisation occurs outside of a vacuum source under ambient conditions. This enables the direct analysis of samples in their native state, with little or no sample preparation and without chromatographic separation. The removal of these steps facilitates a much faster analytical process, enabling the direct analysis of samples within minutes if not seconds. Consequently, AIMS has gained rapid popularity across a diverse range of applications, in particular the analysis of drugs and toxins. Numerous fields rely upon mass spectrometry for the detection and identification of drugs, including clinical diagnostics, forensic chemistry, and food safety. However, all of these fields are hindered by the time‐consuming and laboratory‐confined nature of traditional techniques. As such, the potential for AIMS to resolve these challenges has resulted in a growing interest in ambient ionisation for drug and toxin analysis. Since the early 2000s, forensic science, diagnostic testing, anti‐doping, pharmaceuticals, environmental analysis and food safety have all seen a marked increase in AIMS applications, foreshadowing a new future for drug testing. In this review, some of the most promising AIMS techniques for drug analysis will be discussed, alongside different applications of AIMS published over a 5‐year period, to provide a summary of the recent research activity for ambient ionisation for drug and toxin analysis.

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Demonstration of an End‐To‐End Workflow Using Atmospheric Solids Analysis Probe–Mass Spectrometry (ASAP‐MS) With Real‐Time Sample Recognition Software for the Identification of Falsified and Substandard Pharmaceutical Tablets

Smillie,

Glinka,

Henry

et al. 2024

Drug Testing and Analysis

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Counterfeit pharmaceuticals are a subclass of falsified and substandard medicines. They are illicit products, purporting to be genuine medicines, that are made and sold by criminal organisations. They represent a significant risk to patient safety, as well as a financial and reputational threat to the companies who make the genuine medicines. It is essential to have analytical methods to determine if suspect samples seized by law enforcement agencies are counterfeit, with mass spectrometry (MS) being a commonly used technique in forensic cases. Speed‐to‐answer is vital to enable law enforcement agencies to progress investigations, as well as for pharmaceutical companies so that they can notify health authorities of the circulation of counterfeit medicines. In this work, an atmospheric solids analysis probe (ASAP)–MS was assessed as a fast and simple‐to‐use approach to analyse tablets on a commercially available instrument. Complementing the analytics with real‐time sample recognition software demonstrated that the classification of tablets as authentic or counterfeit could be achieved quickly (< 2 min) and without the need for MS interpretation skills. Authentication of five tablets (two authentic pharmaceuticals, one placebo and two counterfeits containing the correct active pharmaceutical ingredient [API] but at lower quantities than in the genuine medicine and with different excipient contents) of unknown origin was achieved with 100% success. This creates the opportunity to deploy the end‐to‐end workflow as a tool for non‐scientists, such as law enforcement officers and border control staff, for use in‐territory to obtain fast answers and make data‐led decisions to control the illegal trading of medicines.

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Assessment of atmospheric solids analysis probe as a tool for the rapid determination of drug purity

Cited by 3 publications

References 36 publications

Assessment of a Single Quadrupole Mass Spectrometer Combined with an Atmospheric Solids Analysis Probe for the On-Site Identification of Amnesty Bin Drugs

Assessment of a Single Quadrupole Mass Spectrometer Combined with an Atmospheric Solids Analysis Probe for the On-Site Identification of Amnesty Bin Drugs

Ambient ionisation mass spectrometry for drug and toxin analysis: A review of the recent literature

Demonstration of an End‐To‐End Workflow Using Atmospheric Solids Analysis Probe–Mass Spectrometry (ASAP‐MS) With Real‐Time Sample Recognition Software for the Identification of Falsified and Substandard Pharmaceutical Tablets

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