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Objectives: Phenobarbital is a barbiturate, used to treat focal and generalised epilepsy. Since the end of marketing of the oral solution KANEURON in 2017, phenobarbital tablets remain the only available dosage form. Development of an oral phenobarbital solution for paediatric use is therefore essential to fulfil clinical needs. A new formulation of phenobarbital with hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrins (HPBCD) was developed, and the physicochemical stability of the solution was evaluated., Methods: Different excipients have been selected to formulate a solution of phenobarbital. Samples were dosed by High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) at 216 nm with a LiChroCART C18 endcapped column and mobile phase composed of phosphate buffer pH 3 and methanol (50:50 v/v). Linearity, accuracy, sensibility and specificity of the method were tested, and a forced degradation study was carried out. During stability study, content of phenobarbital, pH, osmolality of the phenobarbital solution and degradation products were followed up for 6 months in line with GERPAC guidelines., Results: The stability indicating the character of the assay method has been validated. The physicochemical stability study shows that the phenobarbital solution formulated is stable for 6 months, in line with International Conference of Harmonisation (ICH) recommendations Q1A and Q3B (R2) regarding the content of phenobarbital and levels of degradation products (no degradation products >0.01%). Phenobarbital concentration was 101.59±2.6% of initial concentration in refrigerated samples and 101.14±0.5% at 20±5°C. No phenobarbital degradation products (>0.01%) were observed throughout the 6 months. No significant variation of pH or osmolality was observed., Conclusions: HPBCD solubilise phenobarbital and create a homogeneous solution. These stability data set the shelf life of this new phenobarbital solution at up to 6 months. A microbiological stability study will be carried out to ensure the possibility of using this solution in children., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© European Association of Hospital Pharmacists 2024. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Objectives: A synergic antihistamine, cough suppressant, and decongestant combination of chlorpheniramine, dextromethorphan, and phenylephrine is used to treat acute respiratory infections caused by seasonal viruses. The effective qualitative and quantitative methods require the simultaneous measurement of a ternary combination in the pharmaceutical syrup dosage form. Therefore, a new, simple, fast and robust high performance thin layer chromatographic (HPTLC) method has been developed and validated for chlorpheniramine maleate (CPM), dextromethorphan hydrobromide (DEXO) and phenylephrine hydrochloride (PE)., Material and Methods: The chromatographic separation was carried out on precoated aluminium plates with silica gel 60 F254 as the stationary phase. Mobile phase used was chloroform: methanol: ammonia (2.5:7.5:0.3, v/v/v) for proper separation. The detection was carried out at 270nm wavelength in absorbance mode. Developed method was validated as per International Council for Harmonization (ICH) Q2 (R1) guideline., Results: The linearity range is 400 to 1400ng/band for CPM, 3000 to 11500ng/band for DEXO and 1000 to 3500ng/band for PE with correlation coefficient ≥ 0.995. The consistent lower values of relative standard deviation (RSD, %) for precision and robustness study indicate the method reliability. The percent recovery ranged from 97.82 to 102.03% indicates the good accuracy of the method., Conclusion: The proposed method was complying for the analytical method validation parameters suggested by the ICH Q2 (R1) guideline. The method was found to be simple, rapid and reliable for the simultaneous estimation of CPM, DEXO and PE from its pharmaceutical syrup dosage form. The method was successfully applied to quantify these analytes from the several pharmaceutical syrup dosage form., (Copyright © 2024 Académie Nationale de Pharmacie. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

During heat sterilization of glucose solutions, a variety of glucose degradation products (GDPs) may be formed. GDPs can cause cytotoxic effects after parenteral administration of these solutions. The aim of the current study therefore was to develop a simple and quick high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) method by which the major GDPs can be identified and (summarily) quantified in glucose solutions for parenteral administration. All GDPs were derivatized with o-phenylenediamine (OPD). The resulting GDP derivatives (quinoxalines) were applied to an HPTLC plate. After 20 minutes of chamber saturation with the solvent, the HPTLC plate was developed in a mixture of 1,4-dioxane-toluene-glacial acetic acid (49:49:2, v/v/v), treated with thymol-sulfuric acid spray reagent, and heated at 130°C for 10 minutes. Finally, the GDPs were quantified by using a TLC scanner. For validation, the identities of the quinoxaline derivatives were confirmed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Glyoxal (GO)/methylglyoxal (MGO) and 3-deoxyglucosone (3-DG)/3-deoxygalactosone (3-DGal) could be identified and quantified in pairs, glucosone (2-KDG), 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF), and 3,4-dideoxyglucosone-3-ene (3,4-DGE) each individually. For 2-KDG, the linearity of the method was demonstrated in the range of 1-50 μg/mL, for 5-HMF and 3,4-DGE 1-75 μg/mL, for GO/MGO 2-150 μg/mL, and for 3-DG/3-DGal 10-150 μg/mL. All GDPs achieved a limit of detection (LOD) of 2 μg/mL or less and a limit of quantification (LOQ) of 10 μg/mL or less. R2 was 0.982 for 3.4-DGE, 0.997 for 5-HMF, and 0.999 for 2-KDG, 3-DG/3-DGal, and GO/MGO. The intraday precision was between 0.4 and 14.2% and the accuracy, reported as % recovery, between 86.4 and 112.7%. The proposed HPTLC method appears to be an inexpensive, fast, and sufficiently sensitive approach for routine quantitative analysis of GDPs in heat-sterilized glucose solutions., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Herein, uric acid@Ti 3 C 2 quantum dots (UA@Ti 3 C 2 QDs) were synthesized via a microwave-assisted strategy on the basis of acid etching and stripping. The UA@Ti 3 C 2 QDs have bright blue emission. Intriguingly, the fluorescence emission of the UA@Ti 3 C 2 QDs was significantly quenched after the addition of 2,4,6-trinitrophenol (TNP), due to inner-filter effect (IFE). Based on these findings, a novel environmentally friendly and water-soluble fluorescence probe based on UA@Ti 3 C 2 QDs was demonstrated for the sensitive and selective detection of TNP. The method presented a wide linear range for TNP detection in the 0.01-40 μM range, with a low detection limit of 9.58 nM. Furthermore, the probe was successfully used for the sensitive detection of TNP in real water and smartphone-based colorimetric (SPBC) detection of TNP on surfaces with the linear range from 10.0 to 100.0 ng. On the whole, this work provides an effective strategy for the synthesis of UA@Ti 3 C 2 QDs and an alternative fluorescence probe for detecting TNP both on surface and in solution.

Norepinephrine is a potent α-sympathomimetic drug which plays an important role in the acute treatment of hypotension and shock. Commercially available norepinephrine solutions contain sodium metabisulfite (Na2S2O5) as an antioxidant. However, prefilled cyclic olefin polymer syringes are not compatible with sodium metabisulfite. The aim of this study was to develop a new formulation of 0.1-mg/mL norepinephrine solution without sodium metabisulfite which is chemically stable and sterile and can be stored in prefilled polymer syringes. Formulation studies were performed with 0.1-mg/mL norepinephrine solution with 0, 0.05, or 0.1% ascorbic acid added as antioxidant. The syringes were filled under nitrogen gassing, stored at 20 ± 5°C, and protected from daylight. Based on the formulation test results, the final formulation was defined and stability testing at 20 ± 5°C was performed measuring norepinephrine concentration, pH, clarity, color of the solution, subvisible particles, and sterility at time intervals up to 12 months. The norepinephrine concentrations at t = 22 weeks were 100.4%, 95.4%, and 92.2% for the formulations with no ascorbic acid and with 0.05% and 0.10% ascorbic acid, respectively. Three batches for the stability study were produced containing norepinephrine, sodium edetate, sodium chloride, and water for injections filled under nitrogen gassing and stored at 20 ± 5°C. Norepinephrine concentrations were respectively 98.8%, 98.6%, and 99.3% for batches 1, 2, and 3 at t = 12 months. It can be concluded that norepinephrine (0.1 mg/mL) solution without metabisulfite is stable for at least 12 months at room temperature when protected from daylight.

Introduction: Nefopam has been reported to be effective in postoperative pain control with an opioid-sparing effect, but the use of nefopam can lead to nausea and vomiting. To prevent these side effects, droperidol can be mixed with nefopam. In intensive care units, high concentrations of nefopam and droperidol in syringes can be used with a continuous flow., Objectives: The first objective of this work was to study the physicochemical stability of a nefopam solution 2.5 mg/mL diluted in NaCl 0.9% in polypropylene syringes immediately after preparation and after 6, 24 and 48 hours at room temperature. The second objective was to study the physicochemical stability of mixtures of nefopam 2.5 mg/mL and droperidol 52 µg/mL diluted in NaCl 0.9% in polypropylene syringes at room temperature over 48 hours., Materials and Methods: Three syringes for each condition were prepared. For each time of analysis, three samples for each syringe were prepared and analysed by high performance liquid chromatography coupled to photodiode array detection. The method was validated according to the International Conference on Harmonisation Q2(R1). Physical stability was evaluated by visual and subvisual inspection (turbidimetry by UV spectrophotometry). pH values were measured at each time of analysis., Results: Solutions of nefopam at 2.5 mg/mL and the mixture of nefopam 2.5 mg/mL with droperidol 52 µg/mL, diluted in NaCl 0.9%, without protection from light, retained more than 90% of the initial concentration after 48 hours storage at 20-25°C. No modification in visual or subvisual evaluation and pH values were observed., Conclusion: Nefopam solutions at 2.5 mg/mL and the mixture of nefopam 2.5 mg/mL with droperidol 52 µg/mL diluted in NaCl 0.9% were stable over a period of 48 hours at room temperature. These stability data provide additional knowledge to assist intensive care services in daily practice., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© European Association of Hospital Pharmacists 2020. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared.

Background and Objective: Infusion containing paracetamol, alizapride, ketorolac and tramadol is used after a general anaesthesia in order to limit pain, fever and nausea. Currently, these infusions are prepared according to demand in the anaesthesia unit, but the preparation in advance could improve quality of preparation and time management. The aim of this study was to investigate the long-term stability of this infusion in glass bottles at 5°C ± 3 °C., Method: Five bottles of infusion were stored at 5°C ± 3 °C for 60 days. A visual and microscope inspection were performed periodically to observe any particle appearance or colour change. pH and absorbance at three wavelengths were measured. The concentrations were measured by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography - diode array detection., Results: Multiple verifications were performed during the first 35 days and no crystal, impurity or colour change were observed. At the next time point (42nd day), crystals were visible to the naked eye. pH and absorbance at 350 nm and 550 nm were stable. A slight increase in the absorbance at 410 nm was observed during the study, suggesting that a degradation product could be formed and absorb at this wavelength. The infusion was considered chemically stable while the lower one-sided prediction limit at 95% remains superior to 90% of the initial concentration. Concentration measurements demonstrated that ketorolac and alizapride remained stable in the infusion for 35 days. The stability of tramadol was 28 days. However, degradation of paracetamol was much faster given that concentration has fallen below 90% of the initial concentration after 7 days., Conclusion: Infusion of paracetamol, alizapride, ketorolac and tramadol remains stable for 7 days in glass bottles at 5°C ± 3 °C and could be prepared in advance with these storage conditions., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© European Association of Hospital Pharmacists 2020. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

A simple and highly sensitive CE-UV method was applied in the determination of l-ctrulline, which was developed from an oral formulation for pediatric use. The novel method was based on the analysis of l-citrulline for direct ultraviolet detection at 198 nm. The BGE consisted of 10 mM sodium tetraborate and 50 mM SDS at pH 9, and the electrophoretic parameters were optimized. The method was validated in terms of specificity, linearity, LOD, LOQ, precision, accuracy, and robustness. The LOD and LOQ obtained were 1.36 and 4.54 μg/mL, respectively. In addition, the method offers higher sensitivity and specificity compared with the results obtained from HPLC method using UV-detectors, in which l-citrulline needs to be derivatizated. Furthermore, low cost and simplicity of the system allowed the rapid and simple quantitation of l-citrulline in the oral formulation for quality control and stability indicated method., (© 2019 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

The place occupied by fluoroquinolones is very important clinically. Ciprofloxacin has been the most widely prescribed one which exhibits good activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter. D-glucose is frequently used as an excipient in most formulations for perfusion solutions. Since there is much interest in pharmaceutical quality control of such formulations, separation of impurities from the main drug substances and accurate assay quantification, and since there is no reference or monograph until nowadays that has been reported for the simultaneous separation of ciprofloxacin degradation products along with 5-hydroxymethyl-furfural (5-HMF), impurity of D-glucose, classified as a high toxic substance, thus our aim of this work is to develop a new simple, sensitive and stability indicating method allowing this separation by high-performance liquid chromatography. We have started from the chromatographic conditions recommended by the British Pharmacopoeia, and by optimizing the nature of the stationary phase, the composition of the mobile phase and the injection volume. After optimisation, the retained chromatographic conditions have enabled the separation of all impurities with good resolution factor greater than 1.5 for each pair of peaks and with good symmetry peak shape. The developed method was validated according to the International Conference of Harmonisation (ICH) guidelines for specificity, detection and quantification limits, and then it was applied to stability study of the formulation subjected to different ICH prescribed stress conditions. The 5-HMF was checked to be the impurity issued from D-glucose hydrolysis by high temperature mainly after autoclaving of pharmaceuticals. The developed method was proved to be simple, specific with very low limit of quantification. Hence, it can be considered as a method for stability indicating and routine quality control analysis in pharmaceutical industries., (Copyright © 2018 Académie Nationale de Pharmacie. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Establish an effective experimental strategy to determine the compatibility of rubber closures for drugs., Significance: Various types of rubber closures with different compositions are available for drug packaging. Many additives of rubber closures can be released from rubber closures and may affect the quality of drugs and pose a risk to human health. In this study, we aimed to determine the relationship between cephalosporin structure, solution clarity, and rubber closure compatibility using volatile components profile of butyl rubber closures., Methods: Two opposite polarity gas chromatography (GC) systems and GC-mass spectrometry (MS) were used to achieve rapid qualitative determination of the main volatile components in rubber closures. Simulated adsorption experiment was performed to investigate the adsorption of main volatile components in rubber closures by cephalosporins with different side chain structures, and to determine the effects of adsorption on solution clarity., Results: A volatile components screening library of rubber closures was established and the structures of some volatile component were confirmed. The specific adsorption of the structure of cephalosporins on volatile components from rubber closures was studied., Conclusion: Based on the results of this study, rubber closures with good compatibility for cephalosporins with different side chain structures can be selected rapidly. This experimental strategy not only facilitates the screening of suitable rubber closures more effectively, but also enables the quick determination of volatile components adsorbed by drugs.

Purpose: The objective of this study was to compare the stability of recently approved Captisol-stabilized propylene glycol-free melphalan injection (Evomela™) against currently marketed propylene glycol-based melphalan injection. The products were compared as reconstituted solutions in vials as well as admixture solutions prepared from normal saline in infusion bags., Methods: Evomela and propylene glycol-based melphalan injection were reconstituted in normal saline and organic custom diluent, respectively, according to their package insert instructions. The reconstituted solutions were diluted in normal saline to obtain drug admixture solutions at specific drug concentrations. Stability of the solutions was studied at room temperature by assay of melphalan and determination of melphalan-related impurities., Results: Results show that based on the increase in total impurities in propylene glycol-based melphalan injection at 0.45 mg/mL, Evomela admixture solutions are about 5, 9, 15 and 29 times more stable at concentrations of 0.45, 1.0, 2.0 and 5.0 mg/mL, respectively. Results confirmed that reconstituted Evomela solution can be stored in the vial for up to 1 h at RT or for up to 24 h at refrigerated temperature (2-8 °C) with no significant degradation. After storage in the vial, it remains stable for an additional 3-29 h after preparation of admixture solution in infusion bags at concentrations of 0.25-5.0 mg/mL, respectively. In addition, Evomela solution in saline, at concentration of 5.0 mg/mL melphalan was bacteriostatic through 72 h storage at 2-8 °C., Conclusion: Formulation of melphalan with Captisol technology significantly improved stability compared to melphalan hydrochloride reconstituted with propylene-glycol based diluents.

This manuscript presents an NMR strategy to investigate conformational differences in protein-inhibitor complexes, when the inhibitors tightly bind to a protein at sub-nanomolar dissociation constants and are highly analogous to each other. Using HIV-1 protease (PR), we previously evaluated amide chemical shift differences, ΔCSPs, of PR bound to darunavir (DRV) compared to PR bound to several DRV analogue inhibitors, to investigate subtle but significant long-distance conformation changes caused by the inhibitor's chemical moiety variation [Khan, S. N., Persons, J. D. Paulsen, J. L., Guerrero, M., Schiffer, C. A., Kurt-Yilmaz, N., and Ishima, R., Biochemistry, (2018), 57, 1652-1662]. However, ΔCSPs are not ideal for investigating subtle PR-inhibitor interface differences because intrinsic differences in the electron shielding of the inhibitors affect protein ΔCSPs. NMR relaxation is also not suitable as it is not sensitive enough to detect small conformational differences in rigid regions among similar PR-inhibitor complexes. Thus, to gain insight into conformational differences at the inhibitor-protein interface, we recorded 15 N-half filtered NOESY spectra of PR bound to two highly analogous inhibitors and assessed NOEs between PR amide protons and inhibitor protons, between PR amide protons and hydroxyl side chains, and between PR amide protons and water protons. We also verified the PR amide-water NOEs using 2D water-NOE/ROE experiments. Differences in water-amide proton NOE peaks, possibly due to amide-protein hydrogen bonds, were observed between subunit A and subunit B, and between the DRV-bound form and an analogous inhibitor-bound form, which may contribute to remote conformational changes., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Concentrated solutions of doxycycline are often added to drinking water of animals for oral antibiotic therapy. However, stability concerns of doxycycline in solution involve an accurate selection of the solvent system to ensure that the active substance will remain within the acceptance range during the product shelf-life and to avoid sub-therapeutic dosage. Different solvent systems have been evaluated in order to determine their influence on the stability of concentrated doxycycline solutions. The results showed differences in the degradation kinetics of doxycycline depending on the co-solvent used and they permitted to select a solvent system for liquid doxycycline hyclate formulations with low rate of degradation even after several months of storage. So, the inclusion of ethanol together with propylene glycol as main excipient was found to be beneficial, while no benefit was observed concerning the addition of citric acid. Once administered to drinking water, the solutions were stable for 24 h with no influence of the solvent system., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Flexible poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) is widely used in the pharmaceutical industry for the manufacture of medical devices (tubes, probes, bags, primary packaging, etc.). The objective of the present study was to develop a procedure to evaluate the migration potential of nine plastic additives in aqueous infusion bags (NaCl 0.9% and glucose 5%): five phthalates, one adipate, two alkylphenols, and benzophenone. Two types of materials were analyzed: (i) new and outdated plasticized PVC (containing 40% of diethylhexyl phthalate DEHP); and (ii) tri-laminate polyethylene-polyamide-polypropylene, a multilayer material presumably exempt from DEHP. In addition, we evaluated the migration of plasticizers from PVC raw materials (film and grain) under controlled conditions to compare the migration levels according to Regulation 2011/10. Solid phase extraction and liquid-liquid extraction with gas-chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry were used in all tests. The migration of DEHP in PVC grain exceeded the maximum regulated level of 5000 μg/kg, whereas the levels were much lower in films. In new PVC bags, DEHP was the only compound detected at 4.31 ± 0.5 μg/L in NaCl 0.9% and 4.29 ± 0.25 μg/L in glucose 5% serums, whereas the levels increased 10 times in three-year shelf-life bags. In multilayer bags, DEHP was not found but instead, two plasticizers were detected namely dibuthylphthalate (DBP) and diethylphthalate (DEP) at 0.7 ± 0.1 μg/L and 4.14 ± 0.6 μg/L, respectively. These plasticizers are not mentioned as additives allowed in materials intended for parenteral use (European Pharmacopoeia 8.0, 3.1.5. and 3.1.6.). Caprolactam was tentatively identified and could have stemmed from the polyamide of the multilayer composite. The levels of phthalates remained low but not negligible and might constitute a risk to public health in the case of reiterative infusions., (Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Purpose: To explain the effects of the osmolyte proline on the protein-protein interactions (PPI), viscosity and stability of highly concentrated antibody solutions in contrast to other neutral osmolytes., Methods: The viscosity of ~225 mg/mL mAb solutions was measured with proline, glycine and trehalose as a function of pH and co-solute concentration up to 1.3 M. The stability was assessed via turbidity as well as size exclusion chromatography after 4 weeks storage at 40°C. The PPI strength was assessed qualitatively via the high concentration diffusion rate by dynamic light scattering., Results: Increasing proline significantly reduced the mAb viscosity and increased the colloidal stability at pH 6, but not at pH 5 further from the mAb pI. In contrast, glycine and trehalose did not improve the viscosity nor stability. The normalized diffusion coefficient at high concentration, which is inversely proportional to the attractive PPI strength, increased with proline concentration but decreased with increasing glycine., Conclusions: Proline demonstrated greater efficacy for improving mAb viscosity and stability in contrast to glycine and trehalose due to its amphipathic structure and partial charge on the pyrrolidine side chain. These properties likely allow proline to screen the attractive electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions that promote self-association and high viscosities. Binary proline-histidine formulations also demonstrated greater viscosity reduction effects than histidine alone at the same total co-solute concentration, while maintaining a lower total solution osmolarity.

A novel flowing liquid cathode glow discharge (LCGD) was developed as an excitation source of the atomic emission spectrometry (AES) for the determination of Ca and Zn in digested calcium and zinc gluconates oral solution and blood samples, in which the glow discharge is produced between the electrolyte (as cathode) overflowing from a quartz capillary and the needle-like Pt anode. The electron temperature and electron density of LCGD were calculated at different discharge voltages. The discharge stability and parameters affecting the LCGD were investigated in detail. In addition, the measured results of real samples using LCGD-AES were verified by ICP-AES. The results showed that the optimized analytical conditions are pH = 1 HNO 3 as supporting electrolyte, 4.5mLmin -1 solution flow rate. The power consumption of LCGD is 43.5-66.0W. The R 2 and the RSD ranged from 630 to 680V are 0.9942-0.9995 and 0.49%-2.43%, respectively. The limits of detections (LODs) for Zn and Ca are 0.014-0.033 and 0.011-0.097mgL -1 , respectively, which are in good agreement with the closed-type electrolyte cathode atmospheric glow discharge (ELCAD). The obtained results of Ca and Zn in real samples by LCGD-AES are basically consistent with the ICP-AES and reference value. The results suggested that LCGD-AES can provide an alternative analytical method for the detection of metal elements in biological and medical samples., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Over the past decade, electrospraying has proven to be a promising method for the preparation of amorphous solid dispersions, an established formulation strategy to improve the oral bioavailability of poorly soluble drug compounds. Due to the lack of fundamental knowledge concerning adequate single nozzle electrospraying conditions, a trial-and-error approach is currently the only option. The objective of this paper is to study/investigate the influence of the different formulation and process parameters, as well as their interplay, on the formation of a stable cone-jet mode as a prerequisite for a reproducible production of monodisperse micro- and nanoparticles. To this purpose, different polymers commonly used in the formulation of solid dispersions were electrosprayed to map out the workable parameter ranges of the process. The experiments evaluate the importance of the experimental parameters as flow rate, electric potential difference and the distance between the tip of the nozzle and collector. Based on this, the type of solvent and the concentration of the polymer solutions, along with their viscosity and conductivity, were identified as determinative formulation parameters. This information is of utmost importance to rationally design further electrospraying methods for the preparation of amorphous solid dispersions., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: The stability of 0.3-mg/mL tacrolimus ophthalmic solution at different storage temperatures was studied., Methods: A sterile ophthalmic solution of 0.3 mg/mL tacrolimus was prepared in triplicate under aseptic conditions by diluting tacrolimus in eye drops. Three aliquots of this solution were transferred into polypropylene bottles and stored at 25, 2-8, or -15 to -25 °C. Samples were collected immediately after preparation and at selected time points and assayed in triplicate using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Samples were also visually examined for macroscopic changes. The 0.3-mg/mL tacrolimus solution was also exposed to acidic treatment and heat to force its degradation and to evaluate the selectivity of the analytic method. The tacrolimus ophthalmic solution was considered stable if at least 90% of the mean initial concentration remained when analyzed by HPLC., Results: When stored at 2-8 °C and between -15 and -25 °C, at least 90% of the initial tacrolimus concentration remained throughout the 85-day study period. There were no significant differences in tacrolimus concentrations between the starting and ending points ( p > 0.05). However, when tacrolimus solution was stored at 25 °C, the percentage of the initial tacrolimus concentration remaining had decreased to less than 90% on day 28., Conclusion: Tacrolimus diluted to 0.3 mg/mL in eye drop solution was stable for 20 days when stored at 25 °C and for at least 85 days when stored at 2-8 °C or between -15 and -25 °C in polypropylene bottles and protected from light., (Copyright © 2017 by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: The intensive care department of the institution use drug solutions within higher concentration to avoid fluid overload. The purpose of the study is to prove the physical stability of different injectable drugs within high concentration (amiodarone 25mg/mL, isosorbide 0.60mg/mL, lorazepam 0.16mg/mL, noradrenalin 0.120 and 0.240mg/mL, salbutamol 0.06mg/mL and sodium valproate 12mg/mL) to ensure the patients safety., Methods: Five of 30 or 50mL polypropylene syringes were prepared for each solution under aseptic conditions and stored at room temperature. Immediately after the preparation (hour 0) and after 1, 4, 8, 24 and 48hours, 2mL of each solution were withdrawn from each syringe and placed in glass tubes to proceed to the stability test. All specimens were visually inspected in front of a black and of a white background and aliquots of each solution were centrifuged to proceed to microscopic inspection with a ten-fold magnification. The pH of each solution was measured with glass electrode pH-meter (Inolab level 1, WTW Weilhem, Germany with biotrode electrode, Hamilton, Bonaduz, Switzerland) and spectrophotometric measurements (Genesys 10 series, New-York, USA) were performed at three wavelengths (350, 410 and 550nm) to avoid the apparition of turbidity., Results: For all the drugs included in the study, there was no significant change in pH, no color change, no turbidity or opacity and no precipitation observed in the solutions during the storage at room temperature for 48hours. No microaggregates were detected by microscope neither revealed by a change of absorbance., Conclusion: Within these limits, the preparations of amiodarone in 5% glucose polypropylene syringes and isosorbide, lorazepam, noradrenalin, salbutamol, valproate in 0.9% sodium chloride polypropylene syringes are physically stable at room temperature for 48hours. These results allow us to consider a study of chemical stability by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)., (Copyright © 2016 Académie Nationale de Pharmacie. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Two sensitive, accurate, and precise spectrophotometric methods have been developed and validated for the simultaneous estimation of ofloxacin (OFX), clotrimazole (CLZ), and lignocaine hydrochloride (LGN) in their combined dosage form (ear drops) without prior separation. The derivative ratio spectra method (method 1) includes the measurement of OFX and CLZ at zero-crossing points (ZCPs) of each other obtained from the ratio derivative spectra using standard LGN as a divisor, whereas the measurement of LGN at the ZCP of CLZ is obtained from the ratio derivative spectra using standard OFX as a divisor. The double divisor-ratio derivative method (method 2) includes the measurement of each drug at its amplitude in the double divisor-ratio spectra obtained using a standard mixture of the other two drugs as the divisor. Both methods were found to be linear (correlation coefficients of >0.996) over the ranges of 3-15, 10-50, and 20-100 μg/mL for OFX, CLZ, and LGN, respectively; precise (RSD of <2%); and accurate (recovery of >98%) for the estimation of each drug. The developed methods were successfully applied for the estimation of these drugs in a marketed ear-drop formulation. Excipients and other ingredients did not interfere with the estimation of these drugs. Both methods were statistically compared using the t-test.

The role of antibody structure (conformation) in solution rheology is probed. It is demonstrated here that pH-dependent changes in the tertiary structure of 2 mAb solutions lead to viscoelasticity and not merely a shear viscosity (η) increase. Steady shear flow curves on mAb solutions are reported over broad pH (3.0 ≤ pH ≤ 8.7) and concentration (2 mg/mL ≤ c ≤ 120 mg/mL) ranges to comprehensively characterize their rheology. Results are interpreted using size exclusion chromatography, differential scanning calorimetry, analytical ultracentrifugation, near-UV circular dichroism, and dynamic light scattering. Changes in tertiary structure with concentration lead to elastic yield stress and increased solution viscosity in solution of "mAb1." These findings are supported by dynamic light scattering and differential scanning calorimetry, which show increased hydrodynamic radius of mAb1 at low pH and a reduced melting temperature T m , respectively. Conversely, another molecule at 120 mg/mL solution concentration is a strong viscoelastic gel due to perturbed tertiary structure (seen in circular dichroism) at pH 3.0, but the same molecule responds as a viscous liquid due to reversible self-association at pH 7.4 (verified by analytical ultracentrifugation). Both protein-protein interactions and structural perturbations govern pH-dependent viscoelasticity of mAb solutions., (Copyright © 2016 American Pharmacists Association®. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

A significant number of therapeutic proteins are marketed as pre-filled syringes or other drug/device combination products and have been safely used in these formats for years. Silicone oil, which is used as lubricant, can migrate into the drug product and may interact with therapeutic proteins. In this study, particles in the size range of 0.2-5 μm and ≥1 μm as determined by resonant mass measurement and micro-flow imaging/light obscuration, respectively, resulted from silicone sloughing off the container barrel after agitation. The degree of droplet formation correlated well with the applied baked-on silicone levels of 13 μg and 94 μg per cartridge. Silicone migration was comparable in placebo, 2 mg/mL and 33 mg/mL IgG1 formulations containing 0.04% (w/v) polysorbate 20. Headspace substantially increased the formation of silicone droplets during agitation. The highest particle concentrations reached, however, were still very low compared to numbers described for spray-on siliconized containers. When applying adequate baked-on silicone levels below 100 μg, bake-on siliconization efficiently limits silicone migration into the drug product without compromising device functionality., (Copyright © 2016 American Pharmacists Association®. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Stability studies of pharmaceutical drug products and pharmaceutical active substances are important to research and development in order to fully understand and maintain product quality and safety throughout its shelf-life. Oxidative forced degradation studies are among the different types of stability studies performed by the pharmaceutical industry in order to understand the intrinsic stability of drug molecules. We have been comparing the use of electrochemistry as an alternative oxidative forced degradation method to traditional forced degradation and accelerated stability studies. Using the electrochemical degradation approach the substrate oxidation takes place in a commercially available electrochemical cell and the effluent of the cell can be either a) directly infused into the mass spectrometer or b) injected in a chromatographic column for separation of the different products formed prior to the mass spectrometry analysis. To enable the study of large numbers of different experimental conditions and molecules we developed a new dual pump automated electrochemical screening platform. This system used a HPLC pump and autosampler to load and wash the electrochemical cell and deliver the oxidized sample plug to a second injection loop. This system enabled the automatic sequential analyses of large numbers of different solutions under varied experimental conditions without need for operator intervention during the run sequence. Here we describe the system and evaluate its performance using a test molecule with well characterized stability and compare results to those obtained using an off-line electrochemistry approach., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Assessing how excipients affect the self-association of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) requires informative and direct in situ measurements for highly concentrated solutions, without sample dilution or perturbation. This study explores the application of solution nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy for characterization of typical mAb behavior in formulations containing arginine glutamate. The data show that the analysis of signal intensities in 1D 1 H NMR spectra, when compensated for changes in buffer viscosity, is invaluable for identifying conditions where protein-protein interactions are minimized. NMR-derived molecular translational diffusion rates for concentrated solutions are less useful than transverse relaxation rates as parameters defining optimal formulation. Furthermore, NMR reports on the solution viscosity and mAb aggregation during accelerated stability study assessment, generating data consistent with that acquired by size-exclusion chromatography. The methodology developed here offers NMR spectroscopy as a new tool providing complementary information useful to formulation development of mAbs and other large therapeutic proteins.

Hydrocortisone degradation products 1, 2, 3, and 4 along with hemiacetal derivatives 5, 6, 7, and 8 were observed through stressed hydrocortisone in solution. Their structures were identified based on HPLC-UV, HPLC-MS, and HPLC-HRMS (high resolution/high accuracy mass spectrometry) analyses as well as reaction mechanistic investigation and synthesis for structural confirmation. 1 and 2 are a pair of E/Z isomers and they were generated through acid catalyzed tautomerization/dehydration of hydrocortisone. Incorporation of water to 1 and 2 resulted in the formation of 3. We also discovered new degradation product 4 which was converted from 3 by oxidation. The degradation products were synthesized by stressing hydrocortisone under the optimized conditions and their structures were characterized by NMR ((1)H/(13)C, COSY, HMBC, HSQC, NOESY) and HRMS analyses. The degradation pathway of hydrocortisone is postulated., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Alpha lipoic acid (ALA), an active substance in anti-aging products and dietary supplements, need to be masked with an edible polymer to obscure its unpleasant taste. However, the high viscosity of the ALA molecules prevents them from forming microcomposites with masking materials even in supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2). Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate and develop a novel production method for microcomposite particles for ALA in hydrogenated colza oil (HCO). Microcomposite particles of ALA/HCO were prepared by using a novel gas-saturated solution (PGSS) process in which the solid-dispersion method is used along with stepwise temperature control (PGSS-STC). Its high viscosity prevents the formation of microcomposites in the conventional PGSS process even under strong agitation. Here, we disperse the solid particles of ALA and HCO in scCO2 at low temperatures and change the temperature stepwise in order to mix the melted ALA and HCO in scCO2. As a result, a homogeneous dispersion of the droplets of ALA in melted HCO saturated with CO2 is obtained at high temperatures. After the rapid expansion of the saturated solution through a nozzle, microcomposite particles of ALA/HCO several micrometers in diameter are obtained.

Introduction: Ketamine hydrochloride (Ketalar(®)) injection is often used as a general anesthetic agent. It is particularly suited to short-term interventions. It can also be used as an inducer of anesthesia before the administration of other anesthetic agents. The aim of this study was to evaluate the stability of ketamine hydrochloride in 3ml polypropylene syringes after storage for up to 180days at room temperature., Method: Syringes containing ketamine hydrochloride (50mg/ml) were prepared and stored at room temperature (25°C) for 180days. The concentrations were measured by validated ultra-performance liquid chromatography-diode array detection at 0, 7, 14, 28, 60, 84, 112, 140 and 180days. A degradation test was performed to evaluate the specificity of the analysis. At each time point, the pH, color and visible particles of each solution were also assessed., Results: Degradation tests proved no interfering peaks with ketamine. All solutions were physically stable during the storage. The lower confidence limit of the concentration for these solutions remains superior to 90% of the initial concentration at this date as recommended by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) until 180days (100%±2%)., Conclusion: Solutions of ketamine (50mg/ml) were chemically stable for 180days in polypropylene syringes with storage at room temperature and could be prepared in advance by a centralized intravenous admixture service., (Copyright © 2016 Académie Nationale de Pharmacie. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Color is an important quality attribute for biotherapeutics. In the biotechnology industry, a visual method is most commonly utilized for color characterization of liquid drug protein solutions. The color testing method is used for both batch release and on stability testing for quality control. Using that method, an analyst visually determines the color of the sample by choosing the closest matching European Pharmacopeia reference color solution. The requirement to judge the best match makes it a subjective method. Furthermore, the visual method does not capture data on hue or chroma that would allow for improved product characterization and the ability to detect subtle differences between samples. To overcome these challenges, we describe a quantitative method for color determination that greatly reduces the variability in measuring color and allows for a more precise understanding of color differences. Following color industry standards established by International Commission on Illumination, this method converts a protein solution's visible absorption spectra to L*a*b* color space. Color matching is achieved within the L*a*b* color space, a practice that is already widely used in other industries. The work performed here is to facilitate the adoption and transition for the traditional visual assessment method to a quantitative spectral method. We describe here the algorithm used such that the quantitative spectral method correlates with the currently used visual method. In addition, we provide the L*a*b* values for the European Pharmacopeia reference color solutions required for the quantitative method. We have determined these L*a*b* values by gravimetrically preparing and measuring multiple lots of the reference color solutions. We demonstrate that the visual assessment and the quantitative spectral method are comparable using both low- and high-concentration antibody solutions and solutions with varying turbidity., Lay Abstract: In the biotechnology industry, a visual assessment is the most commonly used method for color characterization, batch release, and stability testing of liquid protein drug solutions. Using this method, an analyst visually determines the color of the sample by choosing the closest match to a standard color series. This visual method can be subjective because it requires an analyst to make a judgment of the best match of color of the sample to the standard color series, and it does not capture data on hue and chroma that would allow for improved product characterization and the ability to detect subtle differences between samples. To overcome these challenges, we developed a quantitative spectral method for color determination that greatly reduces the variability in measuring color and allows for a more precise understanding of color differences. The details of the spectral quantitative method are described. A comparison between the visual assessment method and spectral quantitative method is presented. This study supports the transition to a quantitative spectral method from the visual assessment method for quality testing of protein solutions., (© PDA, Inc. 2016.)

A quantitative spectral method has been developed to precisely measure the color of protein solutions. In this method, a spectrophotometer is utilized for capturing the visible absorption spectrum of a protein solution, which can then be converted to color values (L*a*b*) that represent human perception of color in a quantitative three-dimensional space. These quantitative values (L*a*b*) allow for calculating the best match of a sample's color to a European Pharmacopoeia reference color solution. In order to qualify this instrument and assay for use in clinical quality control, a technical assessment was conducted to evaluate the assay suitability and precision. Setting acceptance criteria for this study required development and implementation of a unique statistical method for assessing precision in 3-dimensional space. Different instruments, cuvettes, protein solutions, and analysts were compared in this study. The instrument accuracy, repeatability, and assay precision were determined. The instrument and assay are found suitable for use in assessing color of drug substances and drug products and is comparable to the current European Pharmacopoeia visual assessment method., Lay Abstract: In the biotechnology industry, a visual assessment is the most commonly used method for color characterization, batch release, and stability testing of liquid protein drug solutions. Using this method, an analyst visually determines the color of the sample by choosing the closest match to a standard color series. This visual method can be subjective because it requires an analyst to make a judgment of the best match of color of the sample to the standard color series, and it does not capture data on hue and chroma that would allow for improved product characterization and the ability to detect subtle differences between samples. To overcome these challenges, we developed a quantitative spectral method for color determination that greatly reduces the variability in measuring color and allows for a more precise understanding of color differences. In this study, we established a statistical method for assessing precision in 3-dimensional space and demonstrated that the quantitative spectral method is comparable with respect to precision and accuracy to the current European Pharmacopoeia visual assessment method., (© PDA, Inc. 2016.)

Although differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) is a non-equilibrium technique, it has been used to gain energetic information that involves phase equilibria. DSC has been widely used to characterize the equilibrium melting parameters of small organic pharmaceutical compounds. An understanding of how DSC measures an equilibrium event could make for a better interpretation of the results. The aim of this mini-review was to provide a theoretical insight into the DSC measurement to obtain the equilibrium thermodynamics of a phase transition especially the melting process. It was demonstrated that the heat quantity obtained from the DSC thermogram (ΔH) was related to the thermodynamic enthalpy of the phase transition (ΔH (P) ) via: ΔH = ΔH (P) /(1 + K (- 1)) where K was the equilibrium constant. In melting, the solid and liquefied phases presumably coexist resulting in a null Gibbs free energy that produces an infinitely larger K. Thus, ΔH could be interpreted as ΔH (P). Issues of DSC investigations on melting behavior of crystalline solids including polymorphism, degradation impurity due to heating in situ, and eutectic melting were discussed. In addition, DSC has been a tool for determination of the impurity based on an ideal solution of the melt that is one of the official methods used to establish the reference standard.

Background: 1,3-β-D-Glucan (BDG) is a fungal cell wall constituent used in the diagnosis of invasive fungal infections. BDG testing, although endorsed by the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer, suffers from limited specificity. False-positive results have been linked to haemodialysis membranes, blood products, antineoplastic agents and antimicrobial use., Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine whether false-positive BDG results in the context of antimicrobial use are caused by BDG present in infusion solutions., Methods: We obtained 35 antimicrobial drugs (30 antibiotics and 5 antifungals) and analysed their BDG content using two different assays., Results: Twenty-five antimicrobials (20 antibiotics and all the tested antifungals) contained enough BDG to trigger a positive test. Depending on the substance, BDG varied between 9 and 2818 pg/mL., Conclusions: A majority of the available antimicrobial substances contained BDG, potentially limiting the utility of BDG testing in the context of prior exposure to these drugs. As the cumulative effects of repeated BDG exposure are unknown, efforts to reduce contamination should be considered., (© The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Transformation of the solid-state form of a drug compound in the lumen of the gastrointestinal tract may alter the drug bioavailability and in extreme cases result in patient fatalities. The solution-mediated anhydrate-to-hydrate phase transformation was examined using an in vitro model with different biorelevant media, simulated fasted and fed state intestinal fluids containing bile salt and dioleoylphosphatidylcholine (DOPC) micelles, DOPC/sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) mixture, bile salt solution and water. Two anhydrate compounds (carbamazepine, CBZ and nitrofurantoin, NF) with different overall transformation time into hydrate form were used as model compounds. The transformations were monitored using direct structural information from time-resolved synchrotron X-ray diffraction. The kinetics of these transformations were estimated using multivariate data analysis (principal component analysis, PCA) and compared to those for nitrofurantoin (NF). The study showed that the solution-mediated phase transformation of CBZ anhydrate was remarkably faster in the DOPC/SDS medium compared to transformation in all the other aqueous dispersion media. The conversion time for CBZ anhydrate in water was shorter than for DOPC/SDS but still faster than the conversion seen in fed and fasted state micellar media. The conversion of CBZ anhydrate to hydrate was the slowest in the solution containing bile salt alone. In contrast, the solution-mediated phase transformations of NF did only show limited kinetic dependence on the dispersion media used, indicating the complexity of the nucleation process. Furthermore, when the CBZ and NF material was compacted into tablets the transformation times were remarkably slower. Results suggest that variations in the composition of the contents of the stomach/gut may affect the recrystallization kinetics, especially when investigating compounds with relatively fast overall transformation time, such as CBZ., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

In 2008, di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), was categorized as CMR 1B under the CLP regulations and its use in PVC medical devices (MD) was called into question by the European authorities. This resulted in the commercialization of PVC MDs plasticized with the DEHP alternative plasticizers tri-octyl trimellitate (TOTM), di-(2-ethylhexyl) terephthalate (DEHT), di-isononyl cyclohexane-1,2-dicarboxylate (DINCH), di-isononyl phthalate (DINP), di-(2-ethylhexy) adipate (DEHA), and Acetyl tri-n-butyl citrate (ATBC). The data available on the migration of these plasticizers from the MDs are too limited to ensure their safe use. We therefore developed a versatile GC-MS method to identify and quantify both these newly used plasticizers and DEHP in MDs and to assess their migration abilities in simulant solution. The use of cubic calibration curves and the optimization of the analytical method by an experimental plan allowed us to lower the limit of plasticizer quantification. It also allowed wide calibration curves to be established that were adapted to this quantification in MDs during migration tests, irrespective of the amount present, and while maintaining good precision and accuracy. We then tested the developed method on 32 PVC MDs used in our hospital and evaluated the plasticizer release from a PVC MD into a simulant solution during a 24h migration test. The results showed a predominance of TOTM in PVC MDs accompanied by DEHP (<0.1% w/w), DEHT, and sometimes DEHA. The migration tests showed a difference in the migration ability between the plasticizers and a non-linear kinetic release., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

This work describes a simple, sensitive and fast liquid chromatographic method using ultraviolet (UV) detection for the quantitation of Captisol™ (sulfobutyl ether-β-cyclodextrin, SBE-β-CD) in Vestipitant (GW597599) IV formulation. The chromatographic system consists of a cyano-modified silica stationary phase column with 0.5mM copper(II) acetate in 50/50 (v/v) water/acetonitrile and 0.05% (v/v) of trifluoroacetic acid as the mobile phase. Due to the fact that SBE-β-CD does not possess a chromophore suitable for UV detection, copper(II) acetate is used as a detection reagent. At low pH copper(II) acetate interacts with SBE-β-CD and produces mixed copper(II) [Cu(2+)] chelate and copper(II) mono acetate [CuOAc(+)] complexes, while displacing sodium ions [Na(+)] from the sulfobutyl ether (SBE) group. The copper(II)-SBE-β-CD interaction has optical properties that allow its detection by UV. This novel method is highly reproducible and reliable for accurate quantitation of SBE-β-CD content in the Vestipitant IV solution, and in the solution without the Vestipitant matrix., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

In the production of large-volume parenterals in Japan, equipment and devices such as tanks, pipework, and filters used in production processes are exhaustively cleaned and sterilized, and the cleanliness of water for injection, drug materials, packaging materials, and manufacturing areas is well controlled. In this environment, the bioburden is relatively low, and less heat resistant compared with microorganisms frequently used as biological indicators such as Geobacillus stearothermophilus (ATCC 7953) and Bacillus subtilis 5230 (ATCC 35021). Consequently, the majority of large-volume parenteral solutions in Japan are manufactured under low-heat sterilization conditions of F0 <2 min, so that loss of clarity of solutions and formation of degradation products of constituents are minimized. Bacillus oleronius (ATCC 700005) is listed as a biological indicator in "Guidance on the Manufacture of Sterile Pharmaceutical Products Produced by Terminal Sterilization" (guidance in Japan, issued in 2012). In this study, we investigated whether B. oleronius is an appropriate biological indicator of the efficacy of low-heat, moist-heat sterilization of large-volume parenterals. Specifically, we investigated the spore-forming ability of this microorganism in various cultivation media and measured the D-values and z-values as parameters of heat resistance. The D-values and z-values changed depending on the constituents of large-volume parenteral products. Also, the spores from B. oleronius showed a moist-heat resistance that was similar to or greater than many of the spore-forming organisms isolated from Japanese parenteral manufacturing processes. Taken together, these results indicate that B. oleronius is suitable as a biological indicator for sterility assurance of large-volume parenteral solutions subjected to low-heat, moist-heat terminal sterilization., (© PDA, Inc. 2016.)

Clinical and Pharmaceutical Solutions through Analysis, São Paulo, Brazil, 3-5 August 2015 The 2nd Annual Symposium on Clinical and Pharmaceutical Solutions through Analysis was held on 3-5 August 2015 at Club Transatlântico, São Paulo, Brazil. This annual meeting began in 2014 and was the first industry-led event in Brazil to focus on the specific needs of industry researchers while bringing together technology and regulators. The goal of CPSA is to provide an in-depth review of innovative technology and industry practices through open discussion of industry-related issues and needs. Education and specialized training are the foundation of all CPSA events. As the industry has evolved so has CPSA. The CPSA annual meeting thrived with high quality scientific content, open interaction from industry opinion leaders and a collegial environment.

Accurate detection and quantification of microbiological contaminations remains an issue mainly due the lack of rapid and precise analytical techniques. Standard methods are expensive and time-consuming being associated to high economic losses and public health threats. In the context of pharmaceutical industry, the development of fast analytical techniques able to overcome these limitations is crucial and spectroscopic techniques might constitute a reliable alternative. In this work we proved the ability of Fourier transform near infrared spectroscopy (FT-NIRS) to detect and quantify bacteria (Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas fluorescens, Salmonella enterica, Staphylococcus epidermidis) from 10 to 10(8) CFUs/mL in sterile saline solutions (NaCl 0.9%). Partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLSDA) models showed that FT-NIRS was able to discriminate between sterile and contaminated solutions for all bacteria as well as to identify the contaminant bacteria. Partial least squares (PLS) models allowed bacterial quantification with limits of detection ranging from 5.1 to 9 CFU/mL for E. coli and B. subtilis, respectively. This methodology was successfully validated in three pharmaceutical preparations (contact lens solution, cough syrup and topic anti-inflammatory solution) proving that this technique possess a high potential to be routinely used for the detection and quantification of bacterial contaminations., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Syringes (N = 426), ventilator machine swabs (N = 202) and intravenous (IV) fluid administration sets (N = 47) from 101 surgical cases were evaluated for bacterial contamination. Cultures from the external surface of syringe tips and syringe contents were positive in 46% and 15% of cases, respectively. The same bacterial species was cultured from both ventilator and syringe in 13% of cases, and was also detected in the IV fluid administration set in two cases. A significant association was found between emergency cases and contaminated syringes (odds ratio 4.5, 95% confidence interval 1.37-14.8; P = 0.01). Other risk factors included not using gloves and failure to cap syringes., (Copyright © 2015 The Healthcare Infection Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Rheometry is an important characterization tool for therapeutic protein solutions because it determines syringeability and relates indirectly to solution stability and thermodynamic interactions. Despite the maturity of rheometry, there remains a need for a rheometer that meets the following three needs of the biopharamaceutical industry: small volume; large dynamic range of shear rates; and no air-sample interface. Here, we report the development of a miniaturized capillary rheometer that meets these needs and is potentially scalable to a multiwell format. These measurements consume only a few microliters of sample and have an uncertainty of a few percent. We demonstrate its performance on monoclonal antibody solutions at different concentrations and temperatures. The instrument has a dynamic range of approximately three decades (in shear rate) and can measure Newtonian, shear thinning, and yielding behaviors, which are representative of the different solution behaviors typically encountered. We compare our microliter capillary rheometer with existing instruments to describe the range of parameter space covered by our device., (© 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. and the American Pharmacists Association.)

A reversible isomerization of ceftriaxone in aqueous solution was observed, and the structure of the isomer was determined by mass spectrometry and various 1D and 2D NMR techniques. The mechanism of isomerization was also discussed. Finally, molecular docking simulations were performed and the antimicrobial activities of the isomers were measured. This showed that the biological activity of ceftriaxone was stronger than that of its isomer. The results reported in this article may be important to quality control requirements and to the stability of ceftriaxone products., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Recently, there has been a transition from glass to plastic injection containers in Japan. In our previous study, we suggested that plastic containers had less impurity contamination than glass containers. However, the use of some plasticizers has been limited because of their endocrine disrupting effects. Therefore, contamination has been a concern due to chemicals in injection solution packed with plastic containers. Indeed, in our recent study, photoinitiators were detected in an injection solution coming from plastic containers. Photoinitiators mainly exist in ink. We therefore speculated that ink originating from a photoinitiator directly printing on plastic containers had migrated into the injection solutions. In a clinical setting, plastic containers are very tractable because they are lightweight and less breakable. On the other hand, from a safety view point, these containers may be hazardous because of permeation by steam, ambient air or photoinitiators. In the present symposium, we will discuss the risk of photoinitiators leaking into injection solution packed with plastic containers, and countermeasures to avoid this risk.

A method using a microfluidic chip coupled with contactless conductivity detection (C(4)D) is demonstrated for the determination of ofloxacin in Ofloxacin Ear Drops. Settings, optimizing procedures, electrophoresis conditions, regression equations, and the average recovery rate are discussed. Under optimum conditions, the determination of ofloxacin in standard solution is achieved within 1 min, which allows detection of ofloxacin in Ofloxacin Ear Drops. The demonstrated method is rapid, high efficient, sensitive, and economical.

Poor quality antimalarial drugs are one of the public's major health problems in Africa. The depth of this problem may be explained in part by the lack of effective enforcement and the lack of efficient local drug analysis laboratories. To tackle part of this issue, two spectroscopic methods with the ability to detect and to quantify quinine dihydrochloride in children's oral drops formulations were developed and validated. Raman and near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy were selected for the drug analysis due to their low cost, non-destructive and rapid characteristics. Both of the methods developed were successfully validated using the total error approach in the range of 50-150% of the target concentration (20%W/V) within the 10% acceptance limits. Samples collected on the Congolese pharmaceutical market were analyzed by both techniques to detect potentially substandard drugs. After a comparison of the analytical performance of both methods, it has been decided to implement the method based on NIR spectroscopy to perform the routine analysis of quinine oral drop samples in the Quality Control Laboratory of Drugs at the University of Kinshasa (DRC)., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Liquid oral medicines being the most accepted form of medication in children are frequently prescribed. The harmful effects of these liquid medicaments on a child's dental health are not known to many. The present study aimed to evaluate and compare the cariogenic and erosive potential of 5 most commonly prescribed pediatric liquid medicaments (PLM) in Pimpri Chinchwad and Pune city, Pune district., Materials and Methods: Most commonly prescribed PLM in Pune district were selected as opined by 50 pediatricians. The selected medicaments were Syr. Augmentin® Duo, Syr. Valparin®, Syr. Combiflam®, Syr. Visyneral and Syr. Orofer®. An estimation of pH, percentage of sucrose concentration and calcium dissolving capacity of these preparations was carried out. The results as obtained were subjected to statistical analysis using SPSS v 17.0 for windows. The statistical test as undertaken was Pearson's correlation coeffcient(r)., Results: Sucrose was seen to be present in Syr. Combiflam® (35.75% ± 0.25%) and Syr. Visyneral (18.48% ± 0.43%). Acidic pH was observed for Syr. Visyneral (mean pH 3.63 ± 0.04), Syr. Combiflam®(mean pH 5.03 ± 0.02) and Syr. Augmentin® (mean pH 6.22 ± 0.02). Highest calcium dissolution was seen with Syr. Combiflam®(295.86 mg/ml) and the least with Syr. Orofer® (25.51 mg/ml). No statistical significant correlation was observed with calcium dissolution potential of PLM in comparison with their respective pH., Conclusion: Syr. Combiflam® can be regarded as the highest cariogenic and erosive potential medicament among the compared and tested PLM., Clinical Significance: Considering syrups with high cariogenic and erosive potential should always follow with proper oral hygiene practices or search for an alternative drugs void of such detrimental effects.

The draft for a new United States Pharmacopoeia (USP) monograph {787} "Sub-visible Particulate Matter in Therapeutic Protein Injections" describes the analysis of sub-visible particles by light obscuration at much lower sample volumes as so far required by the European Pharmacopoeia (Ph. Eur.) and the USP for parenterals in general. Our aim was to show the feasibility of minimizing the sample expenditure required for light obscuration similar to the new USP settings for standards and pharmaceutically relevant samples (both proteins and small molecules), without compromising the data quality. The light obscuration method was downscaled from >20 ml volume as so far specified in Ph. Eur./USP to 1 ml total sample volume. Comparable results for the particle concentration in all tested size classes were obtained with both methods for polystyrene standards, stressed BSA solutions, recombinant human IgG1 formulations, and pantoprazol i.v. solution. An additional advantage of the low volume method is the possibility to detect vial-to-vial variations, which are leveled out when pooling several vials to achieve sufficient volume for the Ph. Eur./USP method. This is in particular important for biotech products where not only the general quality aspect, but also aggregate formation of the drug substance is monitored by light obscuration., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Incidents of detecting novel analogues of phosphodiesterase 5 (PDE-5) inhibitors in illicit dietary supplements for erectile dysfunction are constantly reported. However, little is known about their content in a single dose, mainly due to the poor availability or inaccessibility of pure reference standards. This study presents a new strategy of quantitative analysis of unknown and recently identified compounds. Charged aerosol detector (CAD), described as "universal detector", combined with high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) system proved to be a useful tool for fast and simple quantitation of PDE-5 inhibitors' analogues in a complex herbal matrix without individual reference standards available. Universal calibration was employed for calculations. Two easily obtainable reference materials - sildenafil and tadalafil - were selected as universal standards and the content of analogues was estimated with respect to their response. The error of proposed indirect determination was found to be ± 3%, which is less than enough to obtain a reliable result of the content. The elaborated method was applied for quantitative analyses of PDE-5 inhibitors and 10 analogues detected in 22 illicit dietary supplements and two bulk powdered herbal materials. All target analogues were identified using time-of-flight mass spectrometry with electrospray ionization. Obtained results indicate that the quantity of PDE-5 inhibitors in all tested samples is considered to be pharmacologically relevant., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

NMR is routinely used to quantitate chemical species. The necessary experimental procedures to acquire quantitative data are well-known, but relatively little attention has been applied to data processing and analysis. We describe here a robust expert system that can be used to automatically choose the best signals in a sample for overall concentration determination and determine analyte concentration using all accepted methods. The algorithm is based on the complete deconvolution of the spectrum which makes it tolerant of cases where signals are very close to one another and includes robust methods for the automatic classification of NMR resonances and molecule-to-spectrum multiplets assignments. With the functionality in place and optimized, it is then a relatively simple matter to apply the same workflow to data in a fully automatic way. The procedure is desirable for both its inherent performance and applicability to NMR data acquired for very large sample sets.

Purpose: The stability of two rituximab preparations stored in polyvinyl chloride (PVC) bags at 4 °C for up to 14 days was investigated., Methods: Two types of test samples were prepared: (1) 10 mL of rituximab solution (10 mg/mL) drawn directly from the original manufacturer's vial and injected into sterile glass vials and (2) 3 mL of rituximab 10 mg/mL mixed with 17 mL of 0.9% sodium chloride injection and injected into sterile PVC bags. Samples were analyzed immediately after preparation and after storage at 4 °C for 3, 7, and 14 days. Rituximab activity at the designated time points was measured using a validated enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method. Chemical stability was defined as the retention of ≥85% of the drug's initial activity. Physical stability was evaluated through visual inspection for color changes or precipitate formation under normal laboratory lighting., Results: The results of ELISA testing (with spectrophotometric absorbance assessment) indicated that the percentage of initial rituximab activity retained was over 85% for both test preparations under the storage conditions evaluated; no changes in color or turbidity were observed in any of the test samples. These findings suggest that extending the expiration dating of both stock and diluted rituximab solutions beyond the manufacturer-specified limit of 24 hours is feasible., Conclusion: Rituximab 10 mg/mL undiluted in glass vials and 1.5 mg/mL diluted in 0.9% sodium chloride injection in PVC bags are stable at 4 °C for up to 14 days.