Glatiramer acetate containing compositions and drug products can be manufactured using methods that include a step of measuring one or both of the alpha helical content of the glatiramer acetate and the random coil content of the glatiramer acetate. These measurements can be compared to particular values or ranges for one or both of alpha helical and random coil content. The results of the comparison can be used in determining whether a given batch of glatiramer acetate should be used to manufacture a glatiramer acetate-containing drug product. The measurement of alpha helical content of the glatiramer acetate and the random coil content can be carried out using various methods, including circular dichroism.