A systematic approach for stability-indicating HPLC method optimization for Nilotinib bulk through design of experiments: Application towards characterization of base degradation products by mass spectrometry

A novel and reliable stability-indicating high-performance liquid chromatography method was developed using design of experiments. Under forced degradation conditions (hydrolysis, oxidative, photolytic and thermal) Nilotinib produced five major degradation products utilizing sodium hydroxide in base hydrolysis. The degradation products were separated by Hypersil ODS column (150×4.6mm i.d., 5μ) utilizing methanol and 10mM ammonium acetate (pH 3.0, adjusted with acetic acid) as mobile phase in gradient elusion mode at a flow rate of 1.2mL/min column temperature set at 35°C and UV detection at 263nm. Tandem mass spectrometry method was used to characterize the base degradation products by accurate mass measurements. The developed method was found to be linear, accurate, precise and selective for the separation of Nilotinib from its degradation products as per the International Conference on Harmonisation guidelines. The structures of the degradation products have been elucidated, of which three degradation products were reported for the first time.

Forced degradation of l-(+)-bornesitol, a bioactive marker of Hancornia speciosa: Development and validation of stability indicating UHPLC-MS method and effect of degraded products on ACE inhibition

The antihypertensive activity of the medicinal plant Hancornia speciosa has been previously demonstrated by us, being the activity ascribed to polyphenols and cyclitols like l-(+)-bornesitol. We herein evaluated the stability of the bioactive marker bornesitol submitted to forced degradation conditions. Bornesitol employed in the study was isolated from H. speciosa leaves. An UHPLC-ESI-MS/MS method was developed to investigate bornesitol stability based on MRM (Multiple Reaction Monitoring) acquisition mode and negative ionization mode, employing both specific (m/z 193 → 161 Da) and confirmatory (m/z 193 → 175 Da) transitions. A gradient elution of 0.1% formic acid in water and acetonitrile was performed on a HILIC column. The method was validated and showed adequate linearity (r² > 0.99), selectivity, specificity, accuracy, and precision (RSD < 2.9%). The method was robust for deliberate variations on dessolvation temperature, but not for changes in the flow rate and dessolvation gas. The results from the stability studies allowed us to classify bornesitol as labile for acidic and alkaline hydrolysis, but as very stable for oxidative and neutral hydrolysis exposure. Bornesitol was categorized as practically stable under photolysis degradation, whereas a considerable reduction on its contents was induced by metal ions and thermolysis exposure. Degraded samples from neutral hydrolysis and thermolysis were assayed in vitro for ACE inhibition and showed a substantial decrease in biological activity as compared to intact bornesitol. myo-Inositol was identified as the major degradation products in both matrices. This is the first report on bornesitol stability under different stress conditions and the obtained data are relevant for the development and quality control of standardized products from H. speciosa leaves.

Antineoplastic drugs and their analysis: a state of the art review

We provide an overview of the analytical methods available for the quantification of antineoplastic drugs in pharmaceutical formulations, biological and environmental samples.

Matrix effects in nilotinib formulations with pH-responsive polymer produced by carbon dioxide-mediated precipitation

Factors determining the pH-controlled dissolution kinetics of nilotinib formulations with the pH-titrable polymer hydroxypropyl methylcellulose phthalate, obtained by carbon dioxide-mediated precipitation, were mechanistically examined in acid and neutral environment. The matrix effect, modulating the drug dissolution, was characterized with a battery of physicochemical methodologies, including ToF-SIMS for surface composition, SAXS/WAXS and modulated DSC for crystallization characterization, and simultaneous UV-imaging and Raman spectroscopy for monitoring the dissolution process in detail. The hybrid particle formulations investigated consisted of amorphous nilotinib embedded in a polymer matrix in single continuous phase, displaying extended retained amorphicity also under wet conditions. It was demonstrated by Raman and FTIR spectroscopy that the efficient drug dispersion and amorphization in the polymer matrix were mediated by hydrogen bonding between the drug and the phthalate groups on the polymer. Simultaneous Raman and UV-imaging studies of the effect of drug load on the swelling and dissolution of the polymer matrix revealed that high nilotinib load prevented matrix swelling on passage from acid to neutral pH, thereby preventing re-precipitation and re-crystallization of incorporated nilotinib. These findings provide a mechanistic foundation of formulation development of nilotinib and other protein kinase inhibitors, which are now witnessing an intense therapeutic and industrial attention due to the difficulty in formulating these compounds so that efficient oral bioavailability is reached.