ABSTRACT
@#Abstract： Objective To develop and validate a reverse phase⁃high performance liquid chromatography（RP⁃HPLC） method for determination of residual N⁃hydroxy succinimide（NHS）content in semaglutide. Methods A RP⁃HPLC method was developed based on the screening of chromatographic column and optimization of mobile phase（phosphate concentration and the ratio of acetonitrile），validated for specificity，suitability，accuracy，reproducibility and stability， and determined for linear range，limit of quantitation（LOQ）and limit of detection（LOD）. The NHS contents in three batches of semaglutide were determined by the developed method. Results The optimal condition for RP⁃HPLC was as follows：CAPCELL PAK ADME column（4. 6 mm × 150 mm，3 μm）was adopted，serving 0. 05 mol／L potassium dihy⁃ drogen phosphate solution⁃acetonitrile（98∶2）as mobile phase A，and 70% acetonitrile as mobile phase B with gradient elution（0 min，0% B；10 min，0% B；19 min，90% B；19. 1 min，0% B；25 min，0% B）at a flow rate of 0. 8 mL／min. The detection wave length was set at 260 nm，while the column temperature was 30 ℃. The developed method showed good specificity and systemic suitability，of which the linear range was 0. 2 ~ 3. 0 μg／mL（R2 = 1. 000 0），while the LOD and LOQ were 4. 8 and 9. 6 ng respectively. The RSD of recovery rates of NHS samples at three concentrations was 0. 58%， indicating a high accuracy. The RSD of NHS contents in six test samples was 0. 16%，indicating a high reproducibility. The RSD of peak areas of NHS after storage at room temperature for 0，4，8，12，16，20 and 24 h was 0. 34%，indicating a high stability. No NHS was detected in three batches of semaglutide by the developed method. Conclusion The developed RP⁃HPLC method is simple and sensitive，which may be used for the determination of NHS content in semaglutide.