Molecular weight (MW) and its distribution are important characteristics of heparin and low molecular weight heparins (LMWHs), a family of anticoagulants with polydisperse, heterogeneous polysaccharide chains.
Current compendial methods for heparin molecular weight determinations involve separation on size-exclusion chromatography (SEC) columns, followed by detection with refractive index detectors (RID). While some SEC columns have been widely used in heparin industry before, they are subject to short life time.
BioCore SEC-HP columns, a series of SEC columns tailored for heparin MW determinations, are used for MW determinations of heparin and LMWHs. The results show good performance which meets the system suitability required by the latest methods specified in pharmacopoeias. Besides, these columns show very long life time, without performance loss even after 100 injections, which can reduce cost per injection for heparin industry.
