Pharmaceutical Forced Degradation (Stress Testing) Endpoints: A Scientific Rationale and Industry Perspective.

Forced degradation (i.e., stress testing) of small molecule drug substances and products is a critical part of the drug development process, providing insight into the intrinsic stability of a drug that is foundational to the development and validation of stability-indicating analytical methods. There is a lack of clarity in the scientific literature and regulatory guidance as to what constitutes an "appropriate" endpoint to a set of stress experiments. That is, there is no clear agreement regarding how to determine if a sample has been sufficiently stressed. Notably, it is unclear what represents a suitable justification for declaring a drug substance (DS) or drug product (DP) "stable" to a specific forced degradation condition. To address these concerns and to ensure all pharmaceutically-relevant, potential degradation pathways have been suitably evaluated, we introduce a two-endpoint classification designation supported by experimental data. These two endpoints are 1) a % total degradation target outcome (e.g., for "reactive" drugs) or, 2) a specified amount of stress, even in the absence of any degradation (e.g., for "stable" drugs). These recommended endpoints are based on a review of the scientific literature, regulatory guidance, and a forced degradation data set from ten global pharmaceutical companies. The experimental data set, derived from the Campbell et al. (2022) benchmarking study,1 provides justification for the recommendations. Herein we provide a single source reference for small molecule DS and DP forced degradation stress conditions and endpoint best practices to support regulatory submissions (e.g., marketing applications). Application of these forced degradation conditions and endpoints, as part of a well-designed, comprehensive and a sufficiently rigorous study plan that includes both the DS and DP, provides comprehensive coverage of pharmaceutically-relevant degradation and avoids unreasonably extreme stress conditions and drastic endpoint recommendations sometimes found in the literature.

Desenvolvimento de método indicativo de estabilidade para o antineoplásico cloridrato de doxorrubicina e avaliação da toxicidade in vitro de seus principais produtos de degradação / Stability indicating method development for the antineoplastic drug doxorubicin and in vitro toxicity evaluation of its main degradation products

Em julho de 2008, a ANVISA publicou um informe técnico esclarecendo um item importante da RE nº 1 (2005), que trata sobre os estudos de estabilidade de medicamentos. Este documento originou uma nova RDC de nº 58, publicada em dezembro de 2013, a qual estabelece limites para produtos de degradação em medicamentos. O objetivo do presente trabalho foi avaliar o comportamento do antineoplástico cloridrato de doxorrubicina frente a condições de decomposição (hidrólise ácida, básica, oxidação, temperatura e fotólise), a fim de se determinar suas principais vias de degradação e também elucidar as estruturas de seus principais produtos de degradação. Para isso foi desenvolvido e validado um método indicativo de estabilidade por HPLC-DAD-MS, o qual utiliza como fase estacionária uma coluna Luna C18(2) (150 mm x 3,0 mm, µm) com gradiente de fase móvel de tampão formiato de amônio 5 mmoles.L-1 pH 3 e metanol e fluxo de 0,3 mL.min-1. Ao longo do estudo foram encontrados diversos produtos de degradação, dentre eles a 7- deoxidehidrodoxorrubicinona, originada por hidrólise ácida e também o produto da degradação térmica de m/z 530, o qual foi encontrado nas análises do medicamento após expirado seu prazo de validade. Além disso, a avaliação da toxicidade in vitro de amostras contendo produtos de degradação de origem térmica indicou atividade citotóxica para células mononucleares

ANVISA has published in July 2008, a technical sheet expaining an important item of the RE No. 1 (2005), which describes drugs stability studies. This document originated a new RDC No. 58, published in December 2013, which sets thresholds for degradation products in pharmaceuticals. The aim of this study was to evaluate the behavior for the antineoplastic doxorubicin when exposed to stress conditions (acid and base hydrolysis, oxidaton, photolysis and temperature) in order to determine the major pathaways of degradation and also to elucidate the stuctures of their main degradation products. To this was developed and validated a target stability indicatinf method by HPLC-DAD-MS, with Luna C18 (2) (150 mm x 3.0 mm. 3 µm) column as stationary phase and a mobile phase gradient composed of ammonium formate buffer 5 mmoles.L-1 and pH 3 and metanol with flow of 0.3 ml min-1. Throughout the study many degradation products was discovered, among them 7- deoxydehydrodoxorubicinone, formed by acid hydrolysis and also the main product of termal decomposition of m/z 530, wich was found in the analyzes of the medicine after the expiry of its validity were found. Furthermore, evaluation of the in vitro toxicity of samples containing degradation products of thermal decomposition was found to be citotoxic for mononuclear cells

1H NMR determination of beta-N-methylamino-L-alanine (L-BMAA) in environmental and biological samples.

A nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR) method for the determination of beta-N-methylamino-L-alanine (L-BMAA) in environmental aqueous samples was developed and validated. L-BMAA is a neurotoxic modified amino acid that can be produced by cyanobacteria in aqueous environments. This toxin was extracted from samples by means of solid-phase extraction (SPE) and identified and quantified by 1H NMR without further derivatization steps. The lower limit of quantification (LLOQ) was 5 microg/mL. Good inter and intra-assay precision was also observed (relative standard deviation <8.5%) with the use of 4-nitro-DL-phenylalanine as an internal standard (IS). This method of 1H NMR analysis is not time consuming and can be readily utilized to monitor L-BMAA and confirm its presence in environmental and biological samples.