Effects of vessel geometric irregularity on dissolution test results.

Dissolution testing of pharmaceutical products is an important technique used extensively for both product development and quality control, but there are many variables that can affect dissolution results. In this study, the effect of the inner shape of standard 1-L dissolution vessels on drug dissolution results was investigated. The geometric dimensions and irregularities of commercially available vessels (obtained from four different manufacturers) were examined using a three-dimensional video-based measuring machine (VMM). The same analyst, dissolution test assembly, and experimental conditions were used for dissolution testing involving 10 mg of prednisone tablets (NCDA #2) with dissolution apparatus 2 (paddle). Mechanical calibration of the dissolution apparatus was performed prior to dissolution testing with each set of vessels. Geometric characteristics varied within and among the sets of vessels, but the overall averages and standard deviations of dissolution results (six vessels) showed no statistical significant differences among the vessel sets. However, some dissolution differences were noted when comparing individual vessels. With these types of comparisons, the vessel concentricity, sphericity, and radius of sphere were found to possibly influence the amount of prednisone dissolved, but flatness of vessel flange, cylindricity, and circularity showed no effect on dissolution results. The study shows that VMM is a technique that could be used to qualify dissolution vessels.

Effects of deaeration methods on dissolution testing in aqueous media: a study using a total dissolved gas pressure meter.

Dissolution testing is a critical method for the determination of pharmaceutical product quality and bioequivalence. For some products, dissolved gases in the dissolution medium affect dissolution results thus requiring degassing of the medium prior to use. In this study, we use a total dissolved gas and oxygen meter to measure both oxygen and total gases in dissolution media before and after application of a variety of deaeration methods. Dissolution testing results using a 10 mg Prednisone tablet (NCDA #2) are compared with the percent saturation of oxygen and total gases found in the medium. Reaeration of the medium during different stirring rates was also measured. This study confirms that measurement of total gases and not just oxygen in the medium is necessary to assess adequacy for dissolution testing. For those deaeration techniques that are performed at room temperature, the percent saturation of the total dissolved gases must be well below 100% to prevent outgassing once medium is brought to dissolution test method temperature, typically 37 degrees C.

Stable isotopic composition of the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) naproxen.

A survey of the multi-stable isotopic composition of an active pharmaceutical ingredient (API), naproxen, was performed to assess the potential of Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry (IRMS) to distinguish the provenance of APIs. Twenty-six lots of naproxen from six manufacturers representing four countries (Italy, India, Ireland, and the USA) were analyzed for three isotope ratios (13C/12C, 18O/16O, and D/H). The samples were analyzed by either Elemental Analyzer/Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry (EA/IRMS: carbon (delta13C)) or by Thermal Conversion-EA/IRMS (TCEA/IRMS: hydrogen (deltaD) and oxygen (delta18O)). Bivariate and trivariate isotope ratio graphs for naproxen show marked clustering of the data for five out of the six naproxen manufacturers, suggesting that IRMS may be a plausible means to screen for manufacturer of given APIs.

Stable isotopic characterization of active pharmaceutical ingredients.

Stable isotopic characterization or "fingerprinting" of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) is a highly-specific means of defining the provenance of these pharmaceutical materials. The isotopic analysts in this study were provided with 20 blind samples of four APIs (tropicamide, hydrocortisone, quinine HCL, and tryptophan) from one-to-five production batch(es) from one-to-five manufacturer(s). Only the chemical identity of the APIs was initially provided to the isotopic analysts. Depending on the API chemical composition, isotopic ratios of either three or four elements (13C/12C, 15N/14N, 18O/16O, and/or D/H) were measured by either elemental analyzer/isotope ratio mass spectrometry (EA/IRMS: carbon (delta13C) and nitrogen (delta15N)) or by thermal conversion-EA/IRMS (TCEA/IRMS; hydrogen (deltaD) and oxygen (delta15N)); in all cases, the isotopic results are reported in the standard delta-notation which represents part-per-thousand () variations from the isotopic ratios of international standards. The stable isotopic analyses of the four suites of APIs spanned broad ranges in absolute value (deltadelta) and in estimated specificity (a product of dynamic ranges (DR, unitless)--note that these are upper limits of specificity because some of these isotope values may be partially interdependent). The five samples of tropicamide from one production batch and one manufacturer demonstrated the narrowest ranges (deltadelta13C=0.13 ; deltadelta15N=0.52 ; deltadelta18O=0.24 ; deltadeltaD=2.8 ) and the smallest specificity of 1:30.9. By contrast, the five samples of tryptophan that came from five separate manufacturers had some of the widest isotopic ranges observed (deltadelta13C=21.32 ; deltadelta15N=5.26 ; deltadelta18O=22.07 ; deltadeltaD=55.3 ) and had the largest specificity of 1:19.6 x 10(6). The isotopic provenance of the four suites of APIs readily emerged from bivariate plots of selected isotope ratios, particularly deltaD versus delta18O.

Stability of digitoxin tablets submitted by U.S. hospitals.

The stability of digitoxin tablets that had been stored in hospital pharmacies across the United States was studied. Through a voluntary FDA drug stability program, all hospital pharmacies in the United States were asked in October 1981 to complete a response card indicating information about the digitoxin products they had in stock. Based on the responses, FDA selected 25 samples (representing seven manufacturers) from pharmacies that represented an adequate cross section of the country. These samples were analyzed for content uniformity, strength, dissolution, identification, and other digitoxosides. Of the 25 samples, 19 lots were represented, including 11, 6, 1, and 1 lots of 0.1-mg, 0.2-mg, 0.15-mg and 0.05-mg tablets, respectively. Samples from two lots failed to meet USP requirements for strength, content uniformity, and dissolution; samples from four lots failed to meet the requirements for dissolution only. All six defective lots did not show an expiration date, indicating that they were manufactured before 1975. Digitoxin tablet products still within the expiration date showed no evidence of degradation after storage under actual marketplace conditions.