Enantiomeric impurities

Chiral additives, however, do pose some unique problems. Many chiral agents are expensive or are not commercially available, and therefore, must be synthesized. The presence of the chiral additive in the bulk Hquid phase may also interfere with detection or recovery of the analytes. Finally, the presence of enantiomeric impurity in the chiral additive may add analytical complications (10). 

A study was conducted to measure the concentration of D-fenfluramine HCl (desired product) and L-fenfluramine HCl (enantiomeric impurity) in the final pharmaceutical product, in the possible presence of its isomeric variants (57). Sensitivity, stabiUty, and specificity were enhanced by derivatizing the analyte with 3,5-dinitrophenylisocyanate using a Pirkle chiral recognition approach. Analysis of the caUbration curve data and quaUty assurance samples showed an overall assay precision of 1.78 and 2.52%, for D-fenfluramine HCl and L-fenfluramine, with an overall intra-assay precision of 4.75 and 3.67%, respectively. The minimum quantitation limit was 50 ng/mL, having a minimum signal-to-noise ratio of 10, with relative standard deviations of 2.39 and 3.62% for D-fenfluramine and L-fenfluramine. 

Determination of the drug substance is expected to be enantioselective, and this may be achieved by including a chiral assay in the specification or an achiral assay together with appropriate methods of controlling the enantiomeric impurity. For a drug product where racemization does not occur during manufacture or storage, an achiral assay may suffice. If racemization does happen, then a chiral assay should be used or an achiral method combined with a validated procedure to control the presence of the other enantiomer. 

HPLC, using a Crownpack CR column containing an 18-crown-6-type chiral crown ether, served to separate and resolve the enantiomers of 5,6-dihydroxy-2-aminotetraline (132a) and 6,7-dihydroxy-2-aminotetraline (132b) at pH 2.0 LOQ for enantiomeric impurities was <0.1%308. 

Further, [2.2]paracyclophane-4-acetic acid, a potential drug candidate tested for its anti-inflammatory activity (NSAID could be resolved on the 0-9-(tert-butylcarbamoyl)quinine-based CSP with a = 1.12 Rs = 2.6) and elution order (R)-(-)- before (5)-(- -)-enantiomer [125]. Samples that were assessed to be enan-tiomerically pure by an enantioselective H-NMR spectroscopic method contained 6% and 8% enantiomeric impurity in S- and/ -enantiomers, respectively. This clearly reveals that enantioselective HPLC is a more powerful technique than NMR-methods to assess stereoisomeric purity, in particular, if the enantiomeric impurity amounts to less than 10%. 

FIGURE 14 Specimen electropherogram showing the specificity of the method toward the separation of the main compound (Rl 13675) and the enantiomeric impurity R123158. Reprinted with permission from reference 18. 

FIGURE 16 Determination of the enantiomeric impurity (migration time = 6.102 min) of an experimental drug. At optimal conditions the detectability can be very good, even with the typical shortcomings of an UV detector in CE. 

PLATE I Determination of the enantiomeric purity of active pharmaceutical ingredient (main compound = MC, peak I is the enantiomeric impurity). Conditions lOOmM sodium phosphate buffer pH = 3.0, lOmM trimethyl -cyclodextrin, 60 cm fused silica capillary (effective length 50 cm) X 75 pm I.D., injection 10 s at 35 mbar, 25°C, 20 kV (positive polarity) resulting in a current of approximately lOOpA, detection UV 230 nm. The sample solution is dissolved in a mixture of 55% (v/v) ethanol in water. (A) Typical electropherogram of an API batch spiked with all chiral impurities, (B) overlay electropherograms showing the selectivity of method toward chiral and achiral impurities, a = blank, b = selectivity solution mixture containing all known chiral and achiral compounds, c = API batch, d = racemic mixture of the main compound and the enantiomeric impurity. 

Stereochemical impurities present in drug substances or drug products can arise from a number of different sources. Armstrong et al. performed an extensive study in the 1990s focusing on enantiomeric impurities in chiral synthons... 

Huang et al. [96] developed a method for the enantiomeric purity determination of (6 )-ornidazole in raw material and injection solution that was used in an preclinical study. In this publication, a mobile phase of n-hexane, MeOH, and 2-PrOH (95 4 1) was used with a Chiralcel OB-H column. No chiral impurity (/ )-ornidazole was detected above the LOD (0.05%) in either the raw material or the injection solution (see Figure 17.4D and E). The separation of the racemate is presented in Figure 17.4A, and the minor peak in Figure 17.4B corresponds to an enantiomeric impurity of 0.5%. 

FIGURE 17.5 Separation of (5)-timolol and its conceivable chiral and achiral impurities. (A) The mixture solution containing the conceivable chiral and achiral impurities of (5)-timolol, (B) the dissolution solution, and (C) the standard solution at 0.2% enantiomeric impurity. Column Chiralcel OD-H, mobile phase hexane 2-PrOH DEA (965 35 1 v/v/v). Peaks (1) timolol dimer, (2) (i )-timolol, (3) isotimolol, (4) (5)-timolol, (5) dimorpholinothiadiazole, and (6) solvent front. Concentration of analytes 5-10 Xg/mL in (A) and 3 Xg/mL (i )-timolol in (C). (Reprinted from Marini, R.D. et al., Talanta, 68, 1166, 2006. Copyright Elsevier, 2006. With permission.)... 

Can determine impurities, including enantiomeric impurities, without separation down to ca the 10% level... 

The conglomerate shows a lower melting point (and hence, a higher solubility) than the individual enantiomers. From a melt or a solution with an enantiomeric ratio +1 1, the excess enantiomer crystallizes in pure form. The racemic compound may have a lower (curve 1) or a higher (curve 2) melting point (or solubility) than the corresponding enantiomers the eutectic mixture (E), however, always lies at a minimum. Finally, crystallization of pseudoracemates always yields enantiomerically impure samples. 

Detection of trace enantiomeric impurities can be facilitated when 13C-bands are used as an internal standard in H-NMR methyl group proton resonances110. 

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