Analytical Lifecycle Management (ALM) and Analytical Quality by Design (AQbD) for analytical procedure development of related substances in tenofovir alafenamide fumarate tablets

Analytical quality by design based on knowledge organization: A case study of developing an ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography method for the detection of phenolic compounds

INTRODUCTION

Despite numerous successful cases, there are still some challenges in using analytical quality by design (AQbD) for the development of analytical methods. Knowledge organization helps to enhance the objectivity of risk assessment, reduce the number of preliminary exploratory experiments, identify potential critical method parameters (CMPs) and their scope.

OBJECTIVE

In the present study, we aimed to develop a simple, rapid, and robust analytical method for detecting phenolic compounds in Xiaochaihu capsule intermediates utilizing knowledge organization.

METHODS

Knowledge organization and AQbD were combined to obtain the initial analytical conditions through knowledge collection, extraction, reorganization, and analysis. The quantitative relationship between critical method attributes (CMAs) and CMPs was then established by a definitive screening design. The method operable design region was calculated using an exhaustive Monte Carlo approach based on the probability of reaching the standard. Robustness investigation and methodological validation were finally performed.

RESULTS

Analytical target profiles, CMAs, potential CMPs, and initial analytical conditions were initially identified, and the optimized ranges of operating parameters were obtained. A UHPLC method was successfully established for the analysis of phenolic compounds in ginger-ginger pinellia percolate, and the method validation outcomes were also satisfactory.

CONCLUSION

The developed method can be a reliable means to detect the phenolic compounds of Xiaochaihu capsule intermediates. Knowledge organization provides a new approach for making better use of prior knowledge, significantly enhancing the efficiency of analytical method development. The approach is versatile and can be similarly applied to the development of other methods.

A quality-by-design evaluated liquid chromatography method development and validation for the separation and quantification of nitroxoline and its impurities

A novel, isocratic, sensitive, stability-indicating high-performance liquid chromatography method was developed for the separation and quantification of related substances in nitroxoline (NTL). The chromatographic separation has been achieved on Inertsil ODS-3 V, (250 × 4.6 mm, 5 μm) at 240 nm using ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid buffer and methanol in the ratio of 60:40 v/v as mobile phase. The performance of the method has been checked as per the International Conference on Harmonization guidelines for specificity, linearity, accuracy, precision, and robustness. Regression analysis showed a correlation coefficient value greater than 0.99 for NTL and its three impurities. The detection limit of impurities was in the range of 0.01% (0.05 μg/mL)-0.22% (1.1 μg/mL) indicating the sensitivity of the newly developed method. The accuracy of the method was established based on the recovery obtained between 94.7% and 104.1% for all the impurities. The percentage relative standard deviation obtained for the repeatability was less than 4.0% at the specification level for all impurities. Forced degradation was performed to establish the stability-indicating nature of the method and to know about the degradation products, the quality of a drug substance changes with time under the influence of stress conditions. Thus, the proposed method was validated and found to be specific, sensitive, linear, accurate, precise, reproducible, and beneficial for routine usage.

Optimization of HPLCCAD method for simultaneous analysis of different lipids in lipid nanoparticles with analytical QbD

Since lipid nanoparticles (LNP) have emerged as a potent drug delivery system, the objective of this study was to develop and optimize a robust high-performance liquid chromatography with charged aerosol detectors (HPLCCAD) method to simultaneously quantify different lipids in LNPs using the analytical quality by design (AQbD) approach. After defining analytical target profile (ATP), critical method attributes (CMAs) were established as a resolution between the closely eluting lipid peaks and the total analysis time. Thus, potential high-risk method parameters were identified through the initial risk assessment. These parameters were screened using Plackett-Burman design, and three critical method parameters (CMPs)-MeOH ratio, flow rate, and column temperature-were selected for further optimization. Box-Behnken design was employed to develop the quadratic models that explain the relationship between the CMPs and CMAs and to determine the optimal operating conditions. Moreover, to ensure the robustness of the developed method, a method operable design region (MODR) was established using the Monte Carlo simulation. The MODR was identified within the probability map, where the risk of failure to achieve the desired CMAs was less than 1%. The optimized method was validated according to the ICH guidelines (linearity: R2 > 0.995, accuracy: 97.15-100.48% recovery, precision: RSD < 5%) and successfully applied for the analysis of the lipid in the LNP samples. The development of the analytical method to quantify the lipids is essential for the formulation development and quality control of LNP-based drugs since the potency of LNPs is significantly dependent on the compositions and contents of the lipids in the formation.

Drilling into "Quality by Design" Approach for Analytical Methods

The need for consistency in analytical method development reinforces the dependence of pharmaceutical product development and manufacturing on robust analytical data. The Analytical Quality by Design (AQbD), akin to the product Quality by Design (QbD) endows a high degree of confidence to the method quality developed. AQbD involves the definition of the analytical target profile as starting point, followed by the identification of critical method variables and critical analytical attributes, supported on risk assessment and design of experiment tools for the establishment of a method operable design region and control strategy of the method. This systematic approach moves away from reactive troubleshooting to proactive failure reduction. The objective of this review is to highlight the elements of the AQbD framework and provide an overview of their implementation status in various analytical methods used in the pharmaceutical field. These methodologies include but are not limited to, high-performance liquid chromatography, UV-Vis spectrophotometry, capillary electrophoresis, supercritical fluid chromatography, and high-performance thin-layer chromatography. Finally, a critical appraisal is provided to highlight how regulators have encouraged AQbD principles application to boost the prevention of method failures and a better understanding of the method operable design region (MODR) and control strategy, ultimately resulting in cost-effectiveness and regulatory flexibility.

Analytical quality by design approach for the determination of imidazole in sildenafil API and its formulations using zwitterionic HILIC stationary phase

Herein, the development of a HILIC method for the determination of imidazole (Imp E) in sildenafil citrate API and its final formulations is reported. The main goal of this study was to develop a robust, application-specific HPLC method according to the Analytical Quality by Design principles for the analysis of the above impurity. After the risk assessment study, the high-risk method parameters were sequentially screened and optimized by using 2-level fractional factorial and Box-Behnken designs. The mathematical models were combined with the Monte-Carlo simulations to identify the Method Operable Design Region. The method was thoroughly validated between 25 % and 150 % of the target concentration limit of the imidazole using the total-error concept. The relative bias varied between 1.6 % and 5.6 % and the RSD values were lower than 5.8 % for repeatability and intermediate precision. The limit of detection and the lower limit of quantification were satisfactory and found to be 0.025 and 0.125 μg mL^-1 imidazole, respectively. The applicability of the proposed approach has been demonstrated in the analysis of several sildenafil citrate API batches and final products.

Design of experiment techniques for the optimization of chromatographic analysis conditions: A review

Design of experiment (DoE) techniques have been widely used in the field of chromatographic parameters optimization as a valuable tool. A systematic literature review of the available DoE techniques applied to the development of a chromatographic analysis method is presented in this paper. First, the most common available designs and the implementation steps of DoE are comprehensively introduced. Then the studies in recent 10 years for the application of DoE techniques in various chromatographic techniques are discussed, such as capillary electrophoresis, liquid chromatography, gas chromatography, thin-layer chromatography, and high-speed countercurrent chromatography. Current problems and future outlooks are finally given to provide a certain inspiration of research in the application of DoE techniques to the different chromatographic techniques field. This review contributes to a better understanding of the DoE techniques for the efficient optimization of chromatographic analysis conditions, especially for the analysis of complex systems, such as multicomponent drugs and natural products.