Pharmaceutical Analysis

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Ion-exchange chromatography (IEX) is a frequently overlooked technique. This novel IEX method uses non-aqueous mobile phases to purify a non-crystalline intermediate after a reductive amination with D-xylose. IEX delivers a step change in strength and purity of the intermediate allowing successful downstream processing.

The LCGC Awards 2021

This Friday morning session honors the 2021 LCGC award winners: Paul Haddad of the University of Tasmania, and the foundation director of the Australian Centre for Research on Separation Science (ACROSS); and Erik L. Regalado, of the pharmaceutical company Merck & Co.

Incognito leads us through the complex method used to determine related substances for hydroxychloroquine, exploring the practical implementation and critical evaluation of a less than optimum ultrahigh-pressure liquid chromatography (UHPLC) pharmacopeial method.

Here we provide an overview of the fundamentals and best practices on the development of stability-indicating HPLC methods for drug substances and products. We explain both traditional and easier modern approaches to developing stability-indicating HPLC methods—including using a universal generic method for new chemical entities—and address regulatory considerations and life cycle management strategies.

Determining product shelf life is a regulatory requirement for pharmaceuticals and many other regulated consumer products. In this comprehensive overview of stability studies and testing, we summarize current regulatory requirements, share industry practices for forced degradation, and explain approaches for reduced testing and data evaluation to expedite stability study timelines.

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A fast ultrahigh-pressure liquid chromatography (UHPLC) method, with low solvent consumption, is described for the determination of coenzyme Q10 in a variety of complex formulations. This method exhibits good linearity, reproducibility, accuracy, recovery, and specificity, while resulting in an acceptable limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ).

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This article presents possible uses of ion chromatography and related techniques combined with various detection methods for clinical and pharmaceutical analysis of common inorganic and organic anions and cations. An overview of achievements in this area from the past 10 years is presented and the most important trends and development perspectives for ion chromatography are described.

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The main objective of this review article is to provide a clear summary of the different methods that can be used to quantify endogenous small molecules. Because of the increased use of mass spectrometry (MS) in the field of bioanalysis, a special focus will be placed on quantification by liquid chromatography (LC)–MS. Practical recommendations to face this bioanalytical challenge, in particular in terms of method validation, will also be provided.

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The main objective of this review article is to provide a clear summary of the different methods that can be used to quantify endogenous small molecules. Because of the increased use of mass spectrometry (MS) in the field of bioanalysis, a special focus will be placed on quantification by liquid chromatography (LC)–MS. Practical recommendations to face this bioanalytical challenge, in particular in terms of method validation, will also be provided.

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This article focuses on ways to accelerate glycan screening data analysis, while keeping high reproducibility.A major focus of the pharmaceutical industry is the production and development of biologics-therapeutics produced via biological means-to provide novel treatments for diseases with unmet clinical needs. A large percentage of biologics under development are proteins, such as monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), fusion proteins, antibody–drug conjugates (ADCs), and enzymes. The structures of these protein drugs are made more complex by post‑translational modifications (PTMs).

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This review article will give a general overview of the liquid chromatographic (LC) and gas chromatographic (GC) methods used by analytical laboratories for the detection and characterization of suspected illegal medicines and health products, including lifesaving drugs (antimicrobials and antimalarials), lifestyle drugs (erectile dysfunction drugs), and biotechnology drugs (doping peptides and skin-tanning peptides). Literature published from 2015 until early 2019 will be surveyed.

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LCGC Europe spoke to Yong Liu and Adam Socia from MSD about the cost-saving benefits of implementing green chromatography in the pharmaceutical sector, the importance of analytical method volume intensity (AMVI), and effective practices to reduce solvent consumption and replace harmful solvents, including supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC), fast chromatography, and “cocktail chromatography”.

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This review article will give a general overview of the liquid chromatographic (LC) and gas chromatographic (GC) methods used by analytical laboratories for the detection and characterization of suspected illegal medicines and health products, including lifesaving drugs (antimicrobials and antimalarials), lifestyle drugs (erectile dysfunction drugs), and biotechnology drugs (doping peptides and skin-tanning peptides). Literature published from 2015 until early 2019 will be surveyed.

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This article reviews the changing role of mass spectrometry (MS) hyphenated to reversed-phase liquid chromatography (LC) and alternative separation techniques in late-stage pharmaceutical development. The impact of the changing portfolios within the pharmaceutical industry is discussed as the industry moves from a traditional small-molecule model to a more diverse portfolio. A new generation of high‑resolution mass spectrometers and ion mobility mass spectrometers operating as orthogonal separation techniques has greatly increased the ability to resolve impurities and increase the level of knowledge gained from a single experiment. The continued impact and innovation of gas chromatographyÐmass spectrometry (GCÐMS) in late-stage development is also discussed.

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The evolution of two-dimensional liquid chromatography (2D-LC) instruments along with improved software capabilities has transferred 2D-LC from the hands of experienced researchers to functioning analytical laboratories in the pharmaceutical industry. 2D-LC offers chromatographers novel solutions to problems ranging from analyzing complex samples requiring excessively large peak capacities to separating simple compounds that are difficult to resolve. Recent developments in 2D-LC and 2D-LC–MS have demonstrated the potential of this technique in practice and 2D-LC is set to become an essential tool in the pharmaceutical sector to address problems ranging from coelution, peak purity assessment, simultaneous achiral-chiral analysis, genotoxic impurities, and more.

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Supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) is a well-established analytical technique used in the pharmaceutical industry for decades. However, it is still considered a new technique in some areas, for example, implementing the technique for purity profiling in late-stage development and production. In pharmaceutical analytical departments, SFC serves a wide variety of purposes, including compound purification, purity profile, and chiral analysis. Depending on the phase of drug development, the analytical performance requirements, such as speed of analysis, efficiency, and sensitivity, may vary considerably. The end goal is to provide robust, reliable and transferable analytical SFC methods. The challenges for future development and widespread implementation of SFC and the implementation of SFC in quality control (QC) laboratories using modern instrumentation are also discussed.