Development of an UPLC-MS/MS method for quantification of Avitinib (AC0010) and its five metabolites in human cerebrospinal fluid: Application to a study of the blood-brain barrier penetration rate of non-small cell lung cancer patients.

•Avitinib (AC0010) is a novel mutant-selective EGFR-TKI that shows a good curative effect on NSCLC patients.•Up to now, there has been no publication of determination method for Avitinib.•Cerebrospinal fluid is a special matrix for which method development is difficult.•The method determined not only the parent Avitinib, but also its five metabolites at the same time.•The method successfully applied to the BBB penetration rate research of Avitinib for advanced NSCLC patients with metastatic encephaloma.