Episode 53: How GLP-1 Drugs Are Analyzed: Chromatography & Mass Spectrometry Explained #analyticalchemistry

In this episode of Concentrating on Chromatography, we sit down with Kelly Broster McMahon to explore the analytical science behind one of the most important pharmaceutical trends today: GLP-1 therapeutics.Drugs like Semaglutide have transformed the treatment of diabetes and obesity—but ensuring their safety, efficacy, and quality requires cutting-edge analytical workflows.In this conversation, we break down how chromatography and high-resolution mass spectrometry (LC-MS) work together to characterize complex peptide therapeutics, detect trace-level impurities, and support drug development from early research through regulated manufacturing.🔬 What You’ll Learn* Why GLP-1 drugs are uniquely challenging to analyze* How LC-MS enables detailed peptide characterization* The importance of detecting low-level impurities for patient safety* How analytical workflows scale from R&D to manufacturing* The role of software and data platforms in modern labs* Where chromatography and mass spectrometry are heading next 🧠 Key TakeawaysGLP-1 therapeutics are a “proof point” for the future of analytical chemistry—where success depends not on measuring more, but on measuring the right things earlier, with confidence.As molecules become more complex, integrated workflows combining chromatography, high-resolution mass spectrometry, and advanced informatics are becoming essential to ensure data integrity, regulatory compliance, and ultimately, patient safety. 🎙 About the GuestKelly Broster McMahon is a Senior Manager of Market Development and Collaborations at Thermo Fisher Scientific, with over 15 years of experience in LC-MS and protein mass spectrometry. Her work focuses on translating complex analytical challenges into scalable, compliant workflows for the biopharmaceutical industry.🔗 About the Podcast @ChromatographyTalk  on Chromatography explores the science and workflows behind separation science, mass spectrometry, and analytical chemistry.GLP-1 drugs, semaglutide analysis, LC-MS, mass spectrometry, chromatography, peptide therapeutics, impurity analysis, biopharma analytics, Orbitrap, UHPLC, analytical chemistry podcast