Simultaneous quantification of MTC-220 and its metabolites in beagle dog plasma by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.

•MTC-220, a conjugate of paclitaxel and muramyl dipeptide analog, has been synthesized as a new anti-tumor agent.•MTC-220 cannot only retain paclitaxel's anti-tumor ability but also significantly prevent tumor metastasis in vivo.•Simultaneous determination method of MTC-220 and its metabolites (paclitaxel and MDA-linker) in beagle dog plasma was developed.•This method was useful for further characterizations in pharmacokinetics of MTC-220 and its metabolites.