Feasibility of Using Fluorescence Spectrophotometry to Develop a Sensitive Dye Immersion Method for Container Closure Integrity Testing of Prefilled Syringes.

UNLABELLED: A feasibility study was conducted for a sensitive and robust dye immersion method for the measurement of container closure integrity of unopened prefilled syringes using fluorescence spectrophotometry as the detection method. A Varian Cary Eclipse spectrofluorometer was used with a custom-made sample holder to position the intact syringe in the sample compartment for fluorescence measurements. Methylene blue solution was initially evaluated as the fluorophore in a syringe with excitation at 607 nm and emission at 682 nm, which generated a limit of detection of 0.05 µg/mL. Further studies were conducted using rhodamine 123, a dye with stronger fluorescence. Using 480 nm excitation and 525 nm emission, the dye in the syringe could be easily detected at levels as low as 0.001 µg/mL. The relative standard deviation for 10 measurements of a sample of 0.005 µg/mL (with repositioning of the syringe after each measurement) was less than 1.1%. A number of operational parameters were optimized, including the photomultiplier tube voltage, excitation, and emission slit widths. The specificity of the testing was challenged by using marketed drug products and a protein sample, which showed no interference to the rhodamine detection. Results obtained from this study demonstrated that using rhodamine 123 for container closure integrity testing with in-situ (in-syringe) fluorescence measurements significantly enhanced the sensitivity and robustness of the testing and effectively overcame limitations of the traditional methylene blue method with visual or UV-visible absorption detection. LAY ABSTRACT: Ensuring container closure integrity of injectable pharmaceutical products is necessary to maintain quality throughout the shelf life of a sterile drug product. Container closure integrity testing has routinely been used to evaluate closure integrity during product development and production line qualification of prefilled syringes, vials, and devices. However, container closure integrity testing has recently gained industry attention due to increased regulatory agency scrutiny regarding the analytical rigor of container closure integrity testing methods and expectations to use container closure integrity testing in lieu of sterility tests in stability programs. Methylene blue dye is often used for dye ingress testing of container closure integrity, but we found it unsuitable for reliable detection of small breaches in prefilled syringes of drug product. This work describes the suitability and advantages of using a fluorescent dye and spectroscopic detection for a robust, sensitive, and quality control-friendly container closure integrity testing method for prefilled syringes.

Stephacidin A and B: two structurally novel, selective inhibitors of the testosterone-dependent prostate LNCaP cells.

Two novel antitumor alkaloids, Stephacidin A and B, were isolated from the solid fermentation of Aspergillus ochraceus WC76466. Both alkaloids exhibit in vitro cytotoxicity against a number of human tumor cell lines; however, stephacidin B demonstrated more potent and selective antitumor activities, especially against prostate testeosterone-dependent LNCaP cells with IC50 value of 60 nM. The structures of stephacidin A and B were established on the basis of the NMR data and X-ray crystallography. With 15 rings and 9 chiral centers, stephacidin B represents one of the most structurally complex and novel alkaloids occurring in nature.