In-vivo pharmacokinetic study of ibrutinib-loaded nanostructured lipid carriers in rat plasma by sensitive spectrofluorimetric method using harmonized approach of quality by design and white analytical chemistry

Ibrutinib, an antineoplastic agent tackling chronic lymphocytic leukemia, mantle cell lymphoma, and Waldenstrom's Macroglobulinemia, falls under the category of BCS class II drugs, characterized by a puzzling combination of low solubility and high permeability. Its oral bioavailability remains a perplexing challenge, merely reaching 2.9 % due to formidable first-pass metabolism hurdles. In a bid to surmount this obstacle, researchers embarked on a journey to develop ibrutinib-loaded NLCs (Nanostructured Lipid Carriers) using a methodology steeped in complexity: a Design of Experiments (DoE)-based hot melted ultrasonication approach. Despite a plethora of methods for analyzing ibrutinib in various matrices, the absence of a spectrofluorimetric method for assessing it in rat plasma added to the enigma. Thus emerged a spectrofluorimetric method, embodying principles of white analytical chemistry and analytical quality by design, employing a Placket-Burman design for initial method exploration and a central composite design for subsequent refinement. This method underwent rigorous validation in accordance with ICH guidelines, paving the way for its application in scrutinizing the in-vivo pharmacokinetics of ibrutinib-loaded NLCs, juxtaposed against commercially available formulations. Surprisingly, the optimized NLCs exhibited a striking 1.82-fold boost in oral bioavailability, shedding light on their potential efficacy. The environmental impact of this method was scrutinized using analytical greenness tools, affirming its eco-friendly attributes. In essence, the culmination of these efforts has not only propelled advancements in drug bioavailability but also heralded the dawn of a streamlined and environmentally conscious analytical paradigm.

Development of a gradient method for sulfamethoxazole, trimethoprim, isoniazid, and pyridoxine hydrochloride in rabbit plasma through QbD-driven investigation

The current study developed a method for quantifying four drugs-Sulfamethoxazole, Trimethoprim, Isoniazid, and Pyridoxine-in rabbit plasma. The method uses gradient liquid chromatography based on analytical quality by design. To achieve separation, a Eclip Plus C18 (250 mm × 5 mm, 4.6 µm) column with L1 packing was used, and analytes were detected at 254 nm at ambient temperature. The optimized mobile phase consisted of 50 mM potassium dihydrogen phosphate buffer (pH 6.5) and Methanol. The concentration of Methanol was 3% (0-5 min), 15% (5-15 min), 55% (15-27 min), and 3% Methanol until the end of the 30-min runtime, and the flow rate was set at 0.95 mL/min. Control Noise Experimentation was used to screen studies, revealing that flow rate, pH, and Methanol concentration significantly affected the analytical attributes. The study identified critical attributes (resolution and asymmetric factor) and developed a quality target method profile. A central composition design was used to optimize the essential parameters. The method developed for the drugs showed peaks at retention times of 6.990 min for Isoniazid, 7.880 min for Pyridoxine, 15.530 min for Sulfamethoxazole, and 26.890 min for Trimethoprim, respectively. The method was validated with linearity in the range of 10-640 ng ml-1, with R2 of 0.9993, 0.9987, 0.9993, and 0.9992 for Sulfamethoxazole, Trimethoprim, Isoniazid, and Pyridoxine, respectively.

Development and validation of a stability-indicating ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography method for the estimation of ibrutinib and trace-level quantification of related substances using quality-by-design approach

A new ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography method was developed using quality-by-design principles for quantifying trace-level impurities of ibrutinib. The method utilized an ACQUITY UPLC BEH C18 column with a mobile phase consisting of equal parts of 0.02 M formic acid in water and 0.02 M formic acid in acetonitrile. The critical method parameters, including mobile phase pH, column temperature, and flow rate, were optimized using the design of experiments. Statistical analysis revealed the impact of these parameters on critical quality attributes. Perturbation and response surface plots illustrated the individual and interactive effects of the parameters. The optimal parameter levels were determined to be pH, 2.5; column temperature, 28°C; and flow rate, 0.55 mL/min. Confirmation experiments demonstrated the method's robustness, with the separation of impurities and unknown degradation products within a 5-min runtime. The optimized ultra-performance liquid chromatography method was validated according to ICH guidelines. The method exhibited linear response within the range of 0.025-100 μg/mL for ibrutinib and 0.0187-0.225 μg/mL for impurities (r2  > 0.9995), with limits of detection/limits of quantification of 0.01/0.025 and 0.015/0.0187 for ibrutinib and four impurities, respectively. Recoveries for the drug and impurities ranged from 92.69 to 102.7%, and precision was below 2% and 8% relative standard deviation for ibrutinib and impurities, respectively.

Structural Elucidation of Novel Degradation Impurities of Ibrutinib in Ibrutinib Tablets Using Preparative Chromatography, LCMS, HRMS and 2D NMR Techniques

Ibrutinib is an orally administered compound that functions as an irreversible covalent inhibitor of the Bruton tyrosine kinase, an essential element in multiple cellular processes including B-cell differentiation, proliferation, migration, survival and apoptosis. The compound has been found to demonstrate efficacy against a range of B-cell malignancies. The drug product is available in oral tablet and capsule formulations. The drug degradation profiles of tablets dosage form were assessed in accordance with regulatory guidelines. The results indicate that the drug substance is susceptible to alkaline and oxidative stress. The oxidation degradation led to the identification of three significant unknown degradation impurities. The three compounds were isolated through the application of preparative liquid chromatography, and their structures were determined using analytical techniques such as liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, high-resolution mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Utilizing structural elucidation data, predictions were made regarding the composition of impurities, revealing them to be novel degradation impurities that bear structural resemblance to ibrutinib. Additionally, potential pathways for the formation of the impurities were proposed.

A sensitive ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method for the simultaneous quantification of assay and trace-level genotoxic tosylate analogs (methyl and ethyl) in empagliflozin and its tablet dosage forms

This study performed the simultaneous quantification of assay and two alkyl sulfonate (tosylate) analogs of empagliflozin (EGZ), specifically methyl 4-methyl benzene sulfonate (MMBS) and ethyl 4-methyl benzene sulfonate (EMBS) in EGZ, and its finished dosage form using an accurate and sensitive ultra-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry method. The separation was achieved on a Waters Acquity BEH Shield RP18 (100 × 2.1 mm, 1.7 μm) column in gradient elution mode with 0.1% formic acid and acetonitrile as the mobile phases and a flow rate of 0.5 mL/min. For simultaneous quantification, the multiple reaction monitoring technique was utilized. The procedure was successfully validated in accordance with the International Council for Harmonisation of Technical Requirements for Pharmaceuticals for Human Use (ICH) guidelines. The peak areas of both impurities, along with their concentrations, exhibited a good relationship with Pearson's correlation coefficient (R), which was >0.999 in the range of 0.3-6 ppm with an EGZ concentration of 2 mg/mL. The percentage recoveries from the limit of quantitation (LOQ) to 200% to the specification level were in the range of 94.82%-102.92%, whereas the percentage relative standard deviation (%RSD) was <2. Therefore, this method is rapid and accurate to quantify MMBS, EMBS, and EGZ assay simultaneously from the marketed tablet dosage forms of EGZ for commercial release and stability sample testing.

Quality by design tool-evaluated stability-indicating ultra-performance liquid chromatography method for the determination of drugs (ritonavir and darunavir) used to treat the human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome

Ritonavir and darunavir were examined using a ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) approach in pharmaceutical dosage forms. The small number of analytical studies that are currently available do not demonstrate the method's stability or nature. The study sought to assess both chemicals using a stability-indicating approach with a relatively short run time. The HSS C18 (100 × 2.1 mm), 2-mm column was used for the chromatographic separation, and isocratic elution was used to achieve this. In the mobile phase, methanol and 0.01 M phosphate buffer (pH 4.0) were included in a 60:40 (v/v) ratio. Throughout the analysis, the flow rate was kept at 0.2 mL min-1 , and a photodiode array detector set to 266 nm was used to find the major components. The proposed method showed a linear response (r2  > 0.999), and the accuracy was between 98.0% and 102.0%. The precision data showed relative standard deviation ≤1.0%. The UPLC method for quantification of ritonavir and darunavir in pharmaceutical dosage forms using a very short run time of under a minute is the subject of the proposed article. To meet current regulatory criteria, the quality by design idea was used in the method performance verification.

Development and validation of apalutamide-related substances method in solid dosage forms using HPLC

A related-substances method was developed for the anticancer drug formulation apalutamide 60 mg tablets and validated using a liquid chromatography gradient elution method. All of the impurities and degradants were separated using the Luna Omega 5 μm Polar C₁₈ , (250 × 4.6) mm HPLC column with a 1.0 ml min^-1 flow rate. The detection was done at 225 nm by injecting the 10 μl of injection volume, controlling the sample temperature at 10°C and maintaining the column compartment temperature at 30°C. The total run time was 85 min. A 0.01 m disodium phosphate dihydrate pH 4.20 ± 0.05 buffer mixed with acetonitrile in the ratio of 73:27 (v/v) was used as mobile phase A. Mobile phase B consisted of water and acetonitrile in the ratio 30:70 (v/v). The proposed method was validated as per the current regulatory guidelines. The method precisions (RSD) at 100% specification level were 1.41, 1.74, 1.84, and 1.66% for the four impurities. The accuracy results were obtained between 96.0 and 106.3% for the limit of quantitation to the 150% level. The standard and sample solutions stability were established for 44 h at 10°C. The correlation coefficient (r) value was >0.999 for all four impurities, indicating good linearity between the concentration and peak response: 0.9999, 0.9999, 0.9999 and 1.0000. These results show the method's linearity. The three filter compatibility was proved and it was concluded that 0.45 μm Nylon, PTFE and PVDF filters are suitable. The robustness of the method was established by varying the conditions. The method specificity was proved and the forced degradation data reveal the method's stability-indicating nature.

QbD-based stability-indicating liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) method for the determination of flurbiprofen in cataplasm

A nonsteroidal drug called flurbiprofen (FBN) has analgesic, anti-inflammatory and antipyretic activity. Currently the determination of FBN in cataplasm does not have any pharmacopeial method. However, the drug substance, tablet and ophthalmic solution formulations do have pharmacopeial methods. The development and validation of an accurate, precise and stability-indicating analytical method for the determination of FBN in cataplasm formulations is reported. The gradient method was employed for the quantification of FBN in the presence of internal standards such as biphenyl. A nonpolar separation phase (C₁₈ , 250 × 4.6 mm, 5 μm Inertsil column; GL Sciences) was used. The optimal flow rate, column oven temperature, injection volume and detector wavelengths were 1.0 ml/min, 40°C, 20 μl and 245 nm, respectively. Mobile phase A was a mixture of water and glacial acetic acid (30:1 v/v) pH adjusted to 2.20 with glacial acetic acid or 1 m NaOH; mobile phase B was methanol (100%). The gradient elution program was [time (min)/% B]: 5/60, 20/70, 25/70, 30/60 and 40/60. The obtained RSDs for the precision and intermediate precision were 0.7 and 0.5%. The percentage recovery ranged from 99.2 to 100.4%. The linear regression coefficient >0.9996 indicates that all peak responses were linear with the concentration. The sample and standard solutions were stable for up to 24 h on the benchtop and in the refrigerator. The critical peaks were well separated from the generated peaks owing to forced degradation, including diluent and placebo peaks. The method validation data and quality by design-based robustness study results indicate that the developed method is robust and fit for routine use in the quality control laboratory. The proposed method is specific, accurate and precise, and the quality by design utilized the first method for the determination of FBN in cataplasm formulations. Transdermal patches and gels have low extraction capacity and this method is applicable for quantification.

Stability-Indicating RP-HPLC Method Development and Validation for Eltrombopag Olamine in the Presence of Impurities and Degradation Products. Robustness by Design of Expert Software

BACKGROUND

A simple and reliable HPLC method for determining impurities in eltrombopag olamine (ELO) film-coated tablets is not available. At the same time, there is no official monograph reported. The proposed research is targeted at the development of a stability-indicating method for determining impurities in ELO film-coated tablets and drug substances.

OBJECTIVE

To develop and validate a simple and effective HPLC method for determining impurities in ELO film-coated tablets and drug substances.

METHODS

All the impurities were separated using a reverse phase (RP)-HPLC system equipped with a Zorbax SB-Phenyl 150 mm × 4.6 mm, 3.5 µm, column with UV detection at 230 nm and a flow rate of 1.2 mL/min. The column temperature was maintained at 45°C.

RESULTS

The proposed method was validated as per current regulatory guidelines. The coefficient of correlation was found to be >0.999 for all impurities. The LOD and LOQ for ELO and all specified impurities were determined. The precision and accuracy were obtained for ELO and its related impurities. Intra- and inter-day RSD values were between 1.22 and 2.04%, and impurity recovery varied between 93.80 and 103.69%. The stability of standard and sample solutions was established for 24 h.

CONCLUSIONS

As per recent guidelines, a stability-indicating method has been developed to determine the impurities in ELO film-coated tablets and drug substances. QbD-based robustness was performed and proved that the method was robust.

HIGHLIGHTS

The proposed article is the first RP-HPLC method for determining impurities in ELO film-coated tablets and drug substances. The quality by design (QbD) concept was utilized to verify the method performance.

Unique Quality by Design Approach for Developing HPLC and LC-MS Method for Estimation of Process and Degradation Impurities in Pibrentasvir, Antiviral Agent for Hepatitis C

Pibrentasvir (PIB) was approved for treating hepatitis C patients. A specific, accurate, linear, robust, and stability-indicating method was developed and validated for determining degradation impurities present in the PIB drug substance by studying the quality by design (QbD) principles. All identified degradation impurities were separated with the stationary phase HALO C18, 150 mm × 4.6 mm, 2.7 μm. Mobile phase A contains pH 2.5 phosphate buffer and acetonitrile in the ratio of (70:30, v/v), and mobile phase B contains water and acetonitrile in the ratio of (30:70, v/v), respectively. The chromatographic conditions were optimized, such as flow rate of 0.8 mL/min, UV detection at 252 nm, injection volume of 20 μL, and column temperature of 40 °C. The proposed method was validated per the current ICH Q2 (R1) guidelines. The recovery study and linearity ranges were established from limit of quantification (LOQ) to 300% optimal concentrations. The method validation results were between 98.6% and 106.2% for recovery, and linearity r ² was more than 0.999 for all identified impurities. The method precision results achieved below 5% relative standard deviation (RSD). The forced degradation results demonstrated that the drug was sensitive to chemical stress conditions. During the stress study, degrading impurities were identified by the LC-MS technique and the mechanism pathway. A QbD-based experimental design (DoE) approach was used to establish the robustness of the method.

Green Liquid Chromatography Method for the Determination of Related Substances Present in Olopatadine HCl Nasal Spray Formulation, Robustness by Design Expert

BACKGROUND

Dual therapeutic nature drug mast cell stabilizer and histamine receptor antagonist olopatadine hydrochloride (OPT) nasal spray does not have an official monograph, and no literature is available. Eye drops formulation had the official monograph for impurities, but the determination was done in two methods.

OBJECTIVE

A simple and effective green liquid chromatography method to develop and validate for the related substances of OPT nasal spray formulation.

METHOD

A 25 min gradient method was employed to separate impurities and OPT with a 1.0 mL/min flow rate using a Boston green C8 (150 mm × 4.6 mm, 5 µm) HPLC column. The set wavelength and column oven temperatures were 299 nm and 30°C, respectively. pH 3.5 phosphate buffer-acetonitrile in the ratio of (70:30, v/v) as mobile phase A and (50:50, v/v) ratio as mobile phase B. A Quality by Design (QbD) based Design of Experiments (DoE) was employed to evaluate the robustness characteristics of the analytical method validation.

RESULTS

The obtained RSD from the precision and intermediate precision was 0.4 to 4.1%. The % recovery of the impurities from LOQ to 150% of specification level was 87.5 to 110.3%. The linear regression curves for the impurities with a correlation coefficient of >0.999 indicate that all peak responses are linear with the concentration. The sample and standard solutions were stable for 24 h at benchtop and refrigerator conditions.

CONCLUSIONS

All the critical peaks were well separated from the forced degradation studies' diluent, placebo, and generated degradation peaks. The method validation data and QbD based robustness study results indicate that the developed impurities method fits the routine quality control laboratory use. National Environmental Index (NMEI), Green Analytical Procedure Index (GAPI), Analytical Eco-scale and Analytical Greenness (AGREE) tools expressed the method's greenness.

HIGHLIGHTS

The proposed method is QbD utilized and green chemistry assessed impurities determination method for OPT in nasal spray formulation.

Regulatory Perspective Development and Validation of Novel RP-HPLC Method of Midostaurin Drug Substance using Analytical Quality by Design approach; Identified Major Degradation Compounds Mass by Using LC-MS technique

Midostaurin (MTN) was designated as an orphan medicinal product, and it is an emerging drug for treating acute myeloid leukemia and advanced systematic mastocytosis, respectively. The proposed method was developed and validated to evaluate related impurities of MTN. Those impurities were separated by using YMC Trait C18 ExRS, (150 mm × 4.6 mm), 3 μm column. The mobile phase A consists of a 10 mM concentration of phosphate buffer adjusted to pH 3.0 with diluted orthophosphoric acid and mobile phase B contains 90 % acetonitrile with 10 % water. The optimized chromatographic conditions such as flow rate 0.5 mL min^-1 , injection volume 10 μL, UV detection at 290 nm, and a linear gradient program set upto 65 minutes. It was developed through an analytical QbD approach. A systematic flow chart explained the evaluation, control, and life cycle management method. As part of the method evaluation, a risk assessment was conducted. It has been validated as per current ICH guidelines. The recovery study and linearity ranges were established from LOQ to 150 % optimal concentrations. The validation results were found between 95.5 to 102.5 % for recovery and r² 0.9998 to 0.9999 for linearity of all identified impurities. The method precision results were achieved below 10% of RSD. Performed forced degradation studies in chemical and physical stress conditions. The compound was sensitive to chemical stress conditions. During the study, the analyte was degraded, converted into identified degradation impurities, and found its molecular mass by the LC-MS technique.

Unique liquid chromatography technique for the determination of mirabegron in the presence of polymers; robustness by design expert in the light of quality by design

The current study is designed to estimate mirabegron in the presence of high molecular weight of polymers using a unique liquid chromatography method and sample preparation technique. The proposed method is significant because of many analytical issues faced during the development studies. Based on the experimental results, we finally achieved the stability-indicating power of the method. The adequately prepared mobile phase in the ratio of pH 2.0 buffer and acetonitrile (80:20) v/v, respectively. And the buffer pH 2.0 was prepared as follows 8.7 ml of perchloric acid, 2 ml of triethylamine, and 3.0 g sodium hydroxide into 1L of water mixed well. The system suitability parameters were achieved by waters X-Bridge C18 (4.6 mm × 150 mm, 3.5 μm) column and mobile phase. The optimized chromatographic conditions include column temperature of 45°C, a flow rate of 1.0 mL min^-1 ; an injection volume of 5μL; UV 247 nm, and 15 minutes runtime. It's been validated and transferred to QC as per ICH Q2(R1) and Chinese pharmacopeia 2020 edition <9101> & <9100>. Found the recovery and linearity results between 99.0% to 101.0%; (r² ) 0.9998. Established the method robustness study by utilizing the Design of Experiments (DoE) part of the Quality by Design (QbD) concept. The method's stability-indicating nature was proven by a forced degradation study, all the conditions analyte peak purity were passed, and achieved mass balance. It has been used to determination of mirabegron in the assay, content uniformity, blend uniformity, and cleaning samples. It's a user-friendly and cost-effective method.