Patrice Chiap

Harmonization of strategies for the validation of quantitative analytical procedures - A SFSTP proposal - part I

This paper is the first part of a summary report of a new commission of the Société Française des Sciences et Techniques Pharmaceutiques (SFSTP). The main objective of this commission was the harmonization of approaches for the validation of quantitative analytical procedures. Indeed, the principle of the validation of theses procedures is today widely spread in all the domains of activities where measurements are made. Nevertheless, this simple question of acceptability or not of an analytical procedure for a given application, remains incompletely determined in several cases despite the various regulations relating to the good practices (GLP, GMP, ...) and other documents of normative character (ISO, ICH, FDA, ...). There are many official documents describing the criteria of validation to be tested, but they do not propose any experimental protocol and limit themselves most often to the general concepts. For those reasons, two previous SFSTP commissions elaborated validation guides to concretely help the industrial scientists in charge of drug development to apply those regulatory recommendations. If these two first guides widely contributed to the use and progress of analytical validations, they present, nevertheless, weaknesses regarding the conclusions of the performed statistical tests and the decisions to be made with respect to the acceptance limits defined by the use of an analytical procedure. The present paper proposes to review even the bases of the analytical validation for developing harmonized approach, by distinguishing notably the diagnosis rules and the decision rules. This latter rule is based on the use of the accuracy profile, uses the notion of total error and allows to simplify the approach of the validation of an analytical procedure while checking the associated risk to its usage. Thanks to this novel validation approach, it is possible to unambiguously demonstrate the fitness for purpose of a new method as stated in all regulatory documents.In the first two documents [Ph. Hubert, J.J. Nguyen-Huu, B. Boulanger, E. Chapuzet, P. Chiap, N. Cohen, P.A. Compagnon, W. Dewé, M. Feinberg, M. Lallier, M. Laurentie, N. Mercier, G. Muzard, C. Nivet, L. Valat, J. Pharm. Biomed. Anal. 36 (2004) 579-586; Ph. Hubert, J.J. Nguyen-Huu, B. Boulanger, E. Chapuzet, P. Chiap, N. Cohen, P.A. Compagnon, W. Dewé, M. Feinberg, M. Lallier, M. Laurentie, N. Mercier, G. Muzard, C. Nivet, L. Valat, E. Rozet, J. Pharm. Biomed. Anal., in press], a recent SFSTP Commission on the validation of analytical procedure has introduced a harmonized approach for the validation of analytical procedures. In order to complete this guide, the statistical methodology allowing to correctly conclude about the validity of a procedure is proposed in this third part of the guide. Indeed all the steps to obtain the decision tool namely the accuracy profile are described and illustrated step by step by a numerical example. This tool, based on the concept of total error (bias+standard deviation) build with a beta-expectation tolerance interval, allows to easily take the right decision and simultaneously minimizing the risk of the future use of the analytical procedure.

The SFSTP guide on the validation of chromatographic methods for drug bioanalysis: from the Washington Conference to the laboratory

On the basis of the guidelines given in the Washington Conference report and the ICH (International Conference of Harmonisation) recommendations some suggestions about experimental design and data evaluation are proposed by an SFSTP Commission dedicated to the validation of chromatographic methods in bioanalysis. In a series of meetings, members of this Commission have tried to elaborate a rational, practical and statistically reliable strategy to assure the quality of the analytical results generated. This strategy has been formalised in a guide and the main suggestions made by the Commission are summarised in the present paper. The SFSTP guide has been produced to help analysts from the pharmaceutical industry to validate their bioanalytical methods, It is the result of a consensus between professionals having expertise in bioanalytical and/or statistical fields. The suggestions presented in this paper should therefore help the analyst to design and perform the minimum number of validation experiments needed to obtain all the required information to establish and demonstrate the reliability of its analytical procedure. The SFSTP guide suggests a validation strategy in two steps: a pre-validation and the validation itself. An experimental design is described for each of these steps and the main aspects discussed in the paper are related to the selection of the most appropriate calibration model to fit experimental data and the most suitable way to determine the limit(s) of quantitation and subsequently the calibration range as well as the optimum number of experiments to be performed in the validation phase

Enantiomeric purity determination of propranolol by cyclodextrin-modified capillary electrophoresis

Abstract A capillary electrophoretic method for the enantiomeric purity determination of either enantiomer of propranolol was developed using cyclodextrins as chiral additives and uncoated fused-silica capillaries thermostated at 15°C. The effect of the type and concentration of cyclodextrin added to a triethanolamine-phosphate buffer (pH 3.0) on chiral resolution and migration times was studied. The propranolol enantiomers could be separated with all cyclodextrins tested (β-cyclodextrin and seven of its derivatives), except dimethyl-β-cyclodextrin. A particularly high resolution value of 4.4 was obtained for propranolol enantiomers with a buffer containing 10 mM carboxymethyl-β-cyclodextrin. This buffer was selected for testing the enantiomeric purity of propranolol, making it possible to reach detection limits of less than 0.1% for the minor enantiomer. The R enantiomer of propranolol (second migrating) could be quantified at the 0.5% level with good precision (intra-day R.S.D. = 1.7%) in samples of the S enatiomer (first migrating), while the limit of quantification of the latter, when present as an impurity in the R enantiomer, was 0.1%. The method also gave good results in terms of linearity and accuracy.

Comparison and combination of spectroscopic techniques for the detection of counterfeit medicines

During this study, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), near infrared spectroscopy (NIR) and Raman spectroscopy were applied to 55 samples of counterfeit and imitations of Viagra and 39 samples of counterfeit and imitations of Cialis. The aim of the study was to investigate which of these techniques and associations of them were the best for discriminating genuine from counterfeit and imitation samples. Only the regions between 1800-400 cm(-1) and 7000-4000 cm(-1) were used for FT-IR and NIR spectroscopy respectively. Partial least square analysis has been used to allow the detection of counterfeit and imitation tablets. It is shown that for the Viagra samples, the best results were provided by a combination of FT-IR and NIR spectroscopy. On the other hand, the best results for the Cialis samples were provided by the combination of NIR and Raman spectroscopy (1400-1190 cm(-1)). These techniques not only permitted a clear discrimination between genuine and counterfeit or imitation samples but also the distinction of clusters among illegal samples. This might be interesting for forensic investigations by authorities.

Oral bioavailability in sheep of albendazole from a suspension and from a solution containing hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin

Albendazole (ABZ) is a benzimidazole derivative with a broad spectrum of activity against human and animal helminthe parasites. ABZ has a very poor aqueous solubility. This study shows that hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin (HP-beta-CD) is able to form inclusion complexes with ABZ and that is able to increase its aqueous solubility. A synergistic effect exists between HP-beta-CD and citric acid. The combination of HP-beta-CD (200 mM) and citric acid (50 mM) allows dissolution of more than 1.5 mg of ABZ per ml. The aim of this study is the in vivo evaluation in sheep of a solution of the inclusion complex of ABZ with HP-beta-CD in comparison with a suspension of the same drug. A significant (P<0.05) increase in the relative bioavailability is obtained with the solution containing the ABZ-HP-beta-CD complex as measured by ABZSO plasma levels. The area under the curve (AUC(0--> proportional, variant )) of the solution is 37% higher than that obtained with the suspension. Likewise the peak plasma concentration (C(max)) is twice that of the solution while the time to reach C(max) (T(max)) is reduced.

Use of a novel cation-exchange restricted-access material for automated sample clean-up prior to the determination of basic drugs in plasma by liquid chromatography

A new kind of silica-based restricted-access material (RAM) has been tested in pre-columns for the on-line solid-phase extraction (SPE) of basic drugs from directly injected plasma samples before their quantitative analysis by reversed-phase liquid chromatography (LC), using the column switching technique. The outer surface of the porous RAM particlescontains hydrophilic diol groups while sulphonic acid groups are bound to the internal surface, which gives the sorbent the properties of a strong cation exchanger towards low molecular mass compounds. Macromolecules such as proteins have no access to the internal surface of the pre-column due to their exclusion from the pores and are then flushed directly out. The retention capability of this novel packing material has been tested for some hydrophilic basic drugs, such as atropine, fenoterol, ipratropium, procaine, sotalol and terbutaline, used as model compounds. The influence of the composition of the washing liquid on the retention of the analytes in the pre-column has been investigated. The elution profiles of the different compounds and the plasma matrix as well as the time needed for the transfer of the analytes from the pre-column to the analytical column were determined in order to deduce the most suitable conditions for the clean-up step and develop on-line methods for the LC determination of these compounds in plasma. The cationic exchange sorbent was also compared to another RAM, namely RP-18 ADS (alkyl diol silica) sorbent with respect to retention capability towards basic analytes.

LC method for the determination of R-timolol in S-timolol maleate: Validation of its ability to quantify and uncertainty assessment.

This article presents the validation results of a chiral liquid chromatographic (LC) method previously developed for the quantitative determination of R-timolol in S-timolol maleate samples. A novel validation strategy based on the accuracy profiles was used to select the most appropriate regression model, to assess the method accuracy within well defined acceptance limits and to determine the limits of quantitation as well as the concentration range. The validation phase was completed by the investigation of the risk profiles of various acceptable regression models in order to ensure the risk of obtaining the future measurements outside the acceptance limits fixed a priori. On the other hand, the present paper also shows how data used in this validation approach can be used to estimate the measurement uncertainty. The uncertainty derived from beta-expectation tolerance interval (sigma(Tol)(2)), which is equal to the uncertainty of measurements as well as the expanded uncertainty (U(x)) using a coverage factor k=2 was estimated. The uncertainty estimates obtained from validation data were finally compared with those obtained from interlaboratory and robustness studies.

Enantioresolution of basic pharmaceuticals using cellulose tris(4-chloro-3-methylphenylcarbamate) as chiral stationary phase and polar organic mobile phases

A polysaccharide-based chiral stationary phase (Sepapak-4), with cellulose tris(4-chloro-3-methylphenylcarbamate) as chiral selector, has been investigated in liquid chromatography (LC). Its enantioresolution power was evaluated towards 13 basic amino-drugs with widely different structures and polarities, using polar organic mobile phases. After preliminary experiments, acetonitrile was selected as the main mobile phase component, to which a low concentration of diethylamine (0.1%) was systematically added in order to obtain efficient and symmetrical peaks. Different organic solvents were first added in small proportions (5-10%) to acetonitrile to modulate analyte retention. Polar organic modifiers were found to decrease retention and enantioresolution while hexane had the opposite effect, indicating normal-phase behaviour under these conditions. The addition of an organic acid (formic, acetic or trifluoroacetic acid) was found to strongly influence the retention of the basic amino drugs in these nonaqueous systems. The nature and proportion of the acidic additive in the mobile phase had also deep impact on enantioresolution. Therefore, the studied compounds could be subdivided in three groups in respect to the acidic additive used. All analytes could be enantioseparated in relatively short analysis times (10-20 min) using these LC conditions.

Automated determination of tramadol enantiomers in human plasma using solid-phase extraction in combination with chiral liquid chromatography

A sensitive and automated method for the separation and individual determination of tramadol enantiomers in plasma has been developed using solid-phase extraction (SPE) on disposable extraction cartridges (DECs) in combination with chiral liquid chromatography (LC). The SPE operations were performed automatically by means of a sample processor equipped with a robotic arm (ASPEC system). The DEC filled with ethyl silica (50 mg) was first conditioned with methanol and phosphate buffer, pH 7.4. A 1.0-ml volume of plasma was then applied on the DEC. The washing step was performed with the same buffer. The analytes were eluted with 0.15 ml of methanol, and 0.35 ml of phosphate buffer, pH 6.0, containing sodium perchlorate (0.2 M) were added to the extract before injection into the LC system. The enantiomeric separation of tramadol was achieved using a Chiralcel OD-R column containing cellulose tris-(3,5-dimethylphenylcarbamate) as chiral stationary phase. The mobile phase was a mixture of phosphate buffer, pH 6.0, containing sodium perchlorate (0.2 M) and acetonitrile (75:25). The mobile-phase pH and the NaClO4 concentration were optimized with respect to enantiomeric resolution. The method developed was validated. Recoveries for both enantiomers of tramadol were about 100%. The method was found to be linear in the 2.5-150 ng/ml concentration range [r2=0.999 for (+)- and (-)-tramadol]. The repeatability and intermediate precision at a concentration of 50 ng/ml were 6.5 and 8.7% for (+)-tramadol and 6.1 and 7.6% for (-)-tramadol, respectively.

Curcumin-cyclodextrin complexes potentiate gemcitabine effects in an orthotopic mouse model of lung cancer.

Background:Overall clinical outcome for advanced lung cancer remains very disappointing despite recent advances in treatment. Curcumin has been reported as potentially active against cancer.Methods:Owing to poor curcumin solubility, we have used cyclodextrins (CD) as an excipient allowing a considerable increase of aqueous solubility and bioavailability of curcumin. The effects of solubilised curcumin have been evaluated in cell cultures as well as in an in vivo orthotopic lung tumour mouse model.Results:Cell proliferation was reduced while apoptosis rates were increased when lung epithelial tumour cells were cultured in the presence of curcumin–CD complexes. For in vivo experiments, cells were grafted into lungs of C57Bl/6 mice treated by an oral administration of a non-soluble form of curcumin, CDs alone or curcumin–CD complexes, combined or not with gemcitabine. The size of orthotopically implanted lung tumours was reduced upon curcumin complex administration as compared with treatments with placebo or non-solubilised curcumin. Moreover, curcumin potentiated the gemcitabine-mediated antitumour effects.Conclusion:Our data demonstrate that curcumin, when given orally in a CD-solubilised form, reduces lung tumour size in vivo. In vitro experiments show impaired tumour cell proliferation and increased cell apoptosis. Moreover, our data underline a potential additive effect of curcumin with gemcitabine thus providing an efficient therapeutic option for antilung cancer therapy.