Fenofibrate raw materials: HPLC methods for assay and purity and an NMR method for purity.

HPLC methods for drug content and HPLC and NMR methods for related compounds in fenofibrate raw materials were developed. The HPLC methods resolved 11 known and six unknown impurities from the drug. The HPLC system was comprised of a Waters Symmetry ODS column (100 x 4.6 mm, 3.5 microm), a mobile phase consisting of acetonitrile water trifluoroacetic acid 700/300/l (v/v/v) at a flow rate of 1 ml min(-1). and a UV detector set at 280 nm. Minimum quantifiable amounts were about 0.1% for three of the compounds and less than 0.05% for the other eight. Individual impurities in 14 raw materials ranged from trace levels to 0.25%, and total impurities from 0.04 to 0.53% (w/w). Six unknown impurities were detected by HPLC, all at levels below 0.10%, assuming the same relative response as fenofibrate. An NMR method for related compounds was also developed and it was suitable for 12 known and several unknown impurities. It requires an NMR of 400 MHz, or greater, field strength. Individual impurities in the raw materials analyzed ranged from trace levels to 0.24%, and total impurities from trace levels to 0.59%. Several lots contained small amounts of unknown impurities at trace levels. Three lots, all from the same manufacturer, contained an unknown impurity, not detectable by HPLC, which was not present in the other raw materials. It was estimated to be present at a level greater than 0.2%. The results for related compounds by the two techniques were consistent. The main differences stem from the low sensitivity of the HPLC method for some of the related compounds at 280 nm, or from the higher limits of quantitation by the NMR method for several other impurities using the conditions specified. A fifteenth raw material was not homogeneous in its content of impurity VI, a synthetic intermediate and possible degradation product. The HPLC/MS results provided information on the peak purity (number of components) for minor HPLC peaks, as well as structural data such as the molecular ions and diagnostic fragment ions. The HPLC/MS results showed that there were five unknown drug related impurities, for which there were no standards available. Results for the assay of 15 raw materials by HPLC were within the range 98.5-101.5%.

High-pressure liquid chromatographic methods for ciprofloxacin hydrochloride and related compounds in raw materials.

High-pressure liquid chromatographic (HPLC) methods were developed for the analysis of ciprofloxacin hydrochloride raw materials. Method A is for drug content and the determination of related compounds eluting before the drug, including the ethylenediamine analog of ciprofloxacin. Method B may be used for the determination of fluoroquinolonic acid and other related compounds eluting after the drug. Both methods require a 5 microns Inertsil ODS2 column (150 x 4.6 mm), a mobile phase containing tetrahydrofuran, acetonitrile and buffer (0.005 M 1-hexane-sulphonic acid sodium adjusted to pH 3.0 with 0.1 M phosphoric acid); 10:5:85 (v/v/v) for method A and 25:15:60 (v/v/v) for method B, and a flow rate of 1 ml min-1. Detection for method A is at 254 nm; a programmable variable wavelength detector is required for method B: 254 nm for 12 min, then 220 nm for 23 min. The limit of quantitation of the related compounds was 0.05% or less. The precision of the assay method was lower than 1.0%. Drug content in four raw material samples ranged from 98.7% to 101.6% calculated with reference to the anhydrous substance. The water content in these samples ranged from 5.9% to 7.8%. Total impurity levels were 1.0% or lower. Levels of ethylenediamine analog and fluoroquinolonic acid were below 0.4%. A second analyst, using a different HPLC system and a column from a different supplier, repeated the analysis of two raw materials samples and obtained similar results.

Validation of a method for the assay of related compounds in famotidine raw materials and formulations.

A high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) method has been developed for the determination of famotidine and related compounds in drug raw materials and formulations. The minimum detectable amount of the available related compounds is less than 0.02% and the minimum quantifiable amount is less than 0.1%. Famotidine impurity levels were between 0.5 and 2.5% in raw materials. 0.44% in one tablet sample and about 3% in an IV solution, allowing for stabilizers.

High-performance liquid chromatographic methods for the determination of ranitidine and related substances in raw materials and tablets.

High-performance liquid chromatographic methods have been developed for the determination of ranitidine and related compounds in drug raw material and tablets. The method has been shown to resolve at least nine related compounds from the drug. The sensitivity of the method to related compounds is better than 0.01%. Eight raw material samples and 11 tablet samples were examined for related compounds. Total impurities found ranged from 0.31 to 0.79% in raw materials and from 0.40 to 1.75% in tablets. Drug raw materials and tablets were assayed by HPLC; results for raw materials were between 98.2 and 101.1%, and those for tablets were between 96.1 and 102.2%, with a relative standard deviation for the assay of less than 1%. Raw material assay results were confirmed by nonaqueous titration.

Liquid chromatographic methods for assay of carbamazepine, 10,11-dihydrocarbamazepine, and related compounds in carbamazepine drug substance and tablets.

Liquid chromatographic (LC) methods have been developed for the determination of carbamazepine, the impurity 10,11-dihydrocarbamazepine, and related compounds in carbamazepine drug substance and tablets. The LC methods specify a 5 micron diol column and a mobile phase of acetonitrile-methanol-0.05% aqueous acetic acid (5 + 5 + 90). Iminodibenzyl and iminostilbene, starting materials for some routes of synthesis, elute late in the LC system; therefore, a thin-layer chromatographic method for their detection at the 0.05% level has been developed. Eight tablet and 13 raw material samples from several sources were examined. The impurities most frequently found were 10, 11-dihydrocarbamazepine and a compound identified as 10-bromocarbamazepine at levels up to 1.3 and 0.5%, respectively; minimum detectable amounts were about 0.01 and 0.03%, respectively.

Liquid chromatographic method for identity, assay, and content uniformity of five tricyclic drugs.

A liquid chromatographic (LC) procedure has been developed for the assay, content uniformity, and identification of single active ingredient solid and liquid formulations of amitriptyline, chlorpromazine, imipramine, thioridazine, and trifluoperazine. The drugs are extracted from their formulations with methanol or dilute hydrochloric acid, and identified by comparison of retention times with those of known standards; drugs are quantitated against these standards with dl-norephedrine hydrochloride as the internal standard. The precision of replicate injections is better than 2.5% for peak area and better than 1% for peak height. The precision of triplicate determinations of tablet composites is better than 2.2%.

Gas chromatographic method for solvent residues in drug raw materials.

A gas chromatographic (GC) method for screening drug raw materials, soluble in aqueous media, for volatile solvent residues has been developed. After dissolution, separate portions of the drug are each separately extracted with n-octane, toluene, and ether and injected into a chromatograph equipped with a porous polymer column and a flame ionization detector. The range of extractant polarities provides chromatograms which, taken together, are free of interfering peaks from 0 to approximately 20 min. Peaks due to solvent residues in the drug are identified by retention time with confirmation of identity by GC-MS.

Hydrazine levels in formulations of hydralazine, isoniazid, and phenelzine over a 2-year period.

Hydrazine levels in formulations of hydralazine, isoniazid, and phenelzine have been measured over a 2-year period under ambient conditions and under temperature and humidity stress. Hydralazine tablets are stable under ambient conditions, but the hydrazine level in an injectable formulation increased from 4.5 to 10 micrograms/ml over a 23-month period. Isoniazid tablets are also stable, but hydrazine levels in an elixir and a pyridoxine combination product doubled to 44 micrograms/ml and 19 micrograms/tablet, respectively. Levels in phenelzine tablets appeared to remain constant at approximately 60 micrograms/tablet, with considerable tablet-to-tablet variation.

High-performance liquid chromatographic determination of isoniazid and 1-isonicotinyl-2-lactosylhydrazine in isoniazid tablet formulations.

A high-performance liquid chromatographic procedure is presented for the simultaneous determination of isoniazid and 1-isonicotinyl-2-lactosylhydrazine (I) in isoniazid tablet formulations. An aliquot of a diluted aqueous tablet extract is introduced onto a microparticulate cyanopropyl bonded-phase column using a valve-loop injector and chromatographed using a mobile phase of acetonitrile--0.01 M, pH 3.5 aqueous acetate buffer (5:95). Compound I can be determined at levels as low as 0.5% of the isoniazid label claim. The relative standard deviations are 0.4 and 0.7% for the simultaneous determination of isoniazid and I, respectively. Seven commercial tablet formulations contained 93.8--97.0% of the labeled isoniazid amounts and 0.3--5.8% of I, expressed as equivalent isoniazid relative to the labeled isoniazid level.

Simultaneous determination of reserpine and hydrochlorothiazide in two-component tablet formulations by high-performance liquid chromatography.

A high-performance liquid chromatographic procedure is presented for the simultaneous determination of reserpine and hydrochlorothiazide in two-component tablet formulations. An aliquot of a tetrahydrofuran extract of the tablet, containing polylythiazide as an internal standard, is chromatographed on a microparticulate silica gel column using a mobile phase of 0.01% (v/v) diethylamine, 5% (v/v) chloroform, and 18% (v/v) 2-propanol in n-hexane. The relative standard deviations are 1.2 and 0.6% for the simultaneous determination of reserpine and hydrochlorothiazide, respectively. Seven commericial tablet formulations were found to contain 92.7--101.0% and 98.3--101.4% of the labeled amounts of reserpine and hydrochlorothiazide, respectively.

High-performance liquid chromatographic determination of perphenazine and amitriptyline hydrochloride in two-component tablet formulations.

A rapid, precise, and accurate high-performance liquid chromatographic procedure is presented for the simultaneous determination of perphenazine and amitriptyline hydrochloride in two-component tablet formulations. An aliquot of a methanolic extract of the tablet, containing trifluoperazine hydrochloride as an internal standard, is chromatographed on a nitrile bonded phase microparticulate column using a 0.005 M ammonium acetate-methanol (20:80) mobile phase. Quantitation is by peak area. The relative standard deviations for the procedure are 0.34 and 0.54% for the simultaneous determination of perphenazine and amitriptyline, respectively. Eight commercial tablet formulations were analyzed and found to contain 96.5-101.5 and 96.5-103.3% of the labeled amounts of perphenazine and amitriptyline hydrochloride, respectively.

High-performance liquid chromatographic determination of chlordiazepoxide and major related impurities in pharmaceuticals.

A rapid, precise, forward-phase (adsorption) high-performance liquid chromatographic procedure is presented for the determination of chlordiazepoxide and two common impurities, 7-chloro-1,3-dihydro-5-phenyl-2H-1,4-benzodiazepin-2-one 4-oxide and 2-amino-5-chlorobenzophenone, in commercial formulations and for the determination of the benzophenone in the chlordiazepoxide drug substance. The method involves simultaneous quantitation of chlordiazepoxide and the 1,3-dihhydro impurity, followed by quantitation of the benzophenone from a separate sample extract using a second mobile phase. A single microparticulate silica gel column is used throughout. Nitrazepam and o-dinitrobenzene are the internal standards, Quantitation is by peak area using a computing integrator, except that the peak due to the benzophenone is quantitated by peak height. The described procedure is of equivalent precision, but superior accuracy, to the BP 1973 spectrophotometric procedure for the analysis of chlordiazepoxide in chlordiazepoxide formulations. Quantitation of the 1,3-dihydro and the benzophenone impurities at levels as low as 6.3 and 0.9 ng, respectively, is demonstrated.

Combined assay, identification, and foreign related steroids test for methandrostenolone by high-speed liquid chromatography.

A high-speed liquid chromatographic system is described, which can be used for the simultaneous identification of the anabolic steroid methandrostenolone and its impurities and the quantitation of each of these compounds. Separation is effected by adsorption chromatography on a slurry-packed microparticulate silica gel column.

Simultaneous determination of phenylbutazone and oxyphenbutazone in plasma by high-speed liquid chromatography.

A sensitive, specific, high-speed liquid chromatographic procedure is described for the simultaneous determination of phenylbutazone and its metabolite, oxyphenbutazone, in plasma. Acidified plasma is partitioned with cyclohexane-ether (1:1) containing the 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazone of 3,4-dimethoxybenzaldehyde as an internal standard. The organic extract is reduced to dryness, the resulting residue is redissolved in chloroform, and aliquots of this solution are chromatographed on an adsorption column, using a mobile phase of 0.002% acetic acid and 23.0% tetrahydrofuran in n-hexane at 35 degrees. Use of a UV detector permits quantitative analysis of samples containing less than 0.25 mug/ml of phenylbutazone or oxyphenbutazone.