Resolution of binary mixtures of atenolol (ATE) and chlorthalidone (CTD) with minimum sample pre-treatment and without analyte separation has been successfully achieved, using a new and rapid method based on partial least squares (PLS1) analysis of UV spectral data. The simultaneous determination of both analytes was possible by PLS1 processing of sample absorbances between 255 and 300 nm for ATE and evaluation of absorbances in the 253-268 nm region for CTD. The mean recoveries for synthetic samples were 100.3 +/- 1.0% and 100.7 +/- 0.7% for ATE and CTD, respectively. Application of the proposed method to two commercial tablet preparations in the content uniformity test showed them to contain 103.5 +/- 0.8% and 104.9 +/- 1.8% ATE respectively, as well as 103.4 +/- 1.2% and 104.5 +/- 2.2% CTD. Use of this method also allowed the elaboration of dissolution profiles of the drugs in two commercial combined formulation products, through the simultaneous determination of both drugs during the dissolution test. At the dissolution time of 45 min specified by USP XXIV, both pharmaceutical formulations complied with the test.