The use of near infrared spectroscopy in the quality control laboratory of the pharmaceutical industry

Inline acoustic monitoring to determine fluidized bed performance during pharmaceutical coating

Fluidized beds are used by pharmaceutical manufacturers for multi-particulate drug coating. They provide effective mass and heat transfer; however, unit optimization can be difficult due to the multivariate nature of a fluidized bed system. This research explores the use of passive acoustic emissions monitoring as a method to improve temperature management during pellet coating. A piezoelectric microphone was placed inside the exhaust of a conical top spray fluidized bed. Spherical 1000 μm pellets were coated while recording acoustic emissions. Fluidization air temperature was adjusted between trials as a controlled variable to determine if pellet drying rate could be extracted from the data. During each trial, pellets became damp as the coating solution was applied. Drying stages were used to remove moisture whereby pellet fluidization continued without spraying. The moving standard deviation of the acoustic emissions increased by approximately 40 mV during each 2-min coating stage. The emissions then decreased during drying. This decrease was at a rate proportional to pellet drying independently measured at each controlled temperature. The overall coating-drying emissions profile was similar for trials using either sugar or Acryl-EZE® coating solutions. Passive acoustic emissions monitoring is non-invasive and provides reliable coating and drying information during fluidized bed operation.

In-line and Real-time Monitoring of Resonant Acoustic Mixing by Near-infrared Spectroscopy Combined with Chemometric Technology for Process Analytical Technology Applications in Pharmaceutical Powder Blending Systems

Resonant acoustic^® mixing (RAM) technology is a system that performs high-speed mixing by vibration through the control of acceleration and frequency. In recent years, real-time process monitoring and prediction has become of increasing interest, and process analytical technology (PAT) systems will be increasingly introduced into actual manufacturing processes. This study examined the application of PAT with the combination of RAM, near-infrared spectroscopy, and chemometric technology as a set of PAT tools for introduction into actual pharmaceutical powder blending processes. Content uniformity was based on a robust partial least squares regression (PLSR) model constructed to manage the RAM configuration parameters and the changing concentration of the components. As a result, real-time monitoring may be possible and could be successfully demonstrated for in-line real-time prediction of active pharmaceutical ingredients and other additives using chemometric technology. This system is expected to be applicable to the RAM method for the risk management of quality.

Nontargeted, Rapid Screening of Extra Virgin Olive Oil Products for Authenticity Using Near-Infrared Spectroscopy in Combination with Conformity Index and Multivariate Statistical Analyses

A rapid tool for evaluating authenticity was developed and applied to the screening of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) retail products by using Fourier-transform near infrared (FT-NIR) spectroscopy in combination with univariate and multivariate data analysis methods. Using disposable glass tubes, spectra for 62 reference EVOO, 10 edible oil adulterants, 20 blends consisting of EVOO spiked with adulterants, 88 retail EVOO products and other test samples were rapidly measured in the transmission mode without any sample preparation. The univariate conformity index (CI) and the multivariate supervised soft independent modeling of class analogy (SIMCA) classification tool were used to analyze the various olive oil products which were tested for authenticity against a library of reference EVOO. Better discrimination between the authentic EVOO and some commercial EVOO products was observed with SIMCA than with CI analysis. Approximately 61% of all EVOO commercial products were flagged by SIMCA analysis, suggesting that further analysis be performed to identify quality issues and/or potential adulterants. Due to its simplicity and speed, FT-NIR spectroscopy in combination with multivariate data analysis can be used as a complementary tool to conventional official methods of analysis to rapidly flag EVOO products that may not belong to the class of authentic EVOO.

Detection of adulteration in acetonitrile

To address the increasing concern that acetonitrile may be intentionally adulterated to meet the shortfall in global supplies resulting from a downturn in its manufacturing, three analytical techniques were examined in this study. Gas Chromatography with Thermal Conductivity Detection (GC-TCD), Near Infrared (NIR) spectroscopy and Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy were assessed for their ability to detect and quantify potential adulterants including water, alternative organic solvents, and by-products associated with the production of acetonitrile. The results of the assessment of the three techniques for acetonitrile adulteration testing are discussed.

Evaluation of transmission and reflection modalities for measuring content uniformity of pharmaceutical tablets with near-infrared spectroscopy

This paper examines how one may assess spectral changes with instrument configuration (or composition), in combination with the spectral changes in the measurement that are caused by experimental effects, and subsequently select an appropriate measurement modality for tablet content uniformity determination with near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy. Two NIR spectrometers furnished with three configurations in the sample measurement interface were evaluated. One spectrometer, Bruker MPA (multiple purpose analyzer), was equipped with two measurement modalities, diffuse transmission (DT) and diffuse reflection based on integrating sphere optics (DR/IS). The other spectrometer, Bruker StepOne, was equipped only with diffuse reflection mode based on a fiber-optic probe (DR/FO). The data were collected with each of the configurations for the tablets associated with two dosage strengths differing significantly in diameter and thickness. Spectral diagnosis was performed in terms of sensitivity and selectivity. The signal-to-noise ratio computed for the data collected with the DT and DR/IS spectrometers was approximately an order of magnitude greater than that computed for the DR/FO spectrometer. The net-analyte-signal-based selectivity analysis of NIR spectra associated with the sample tablet and the placebo tablet indicated that both transmission and reflection mode provided similar selectivity when the optimal spectral range was chosen. A partial least squares (PLS) calibration model was developed for each data set. The overall standard error of calibration for each DT and DR/IS measurement was approximately 0.3% in weight for each strength, significantly better than the value of 1.0% in weight produced by the DR/FO measurement. This result was consistent with the sensitivity analysis based on spectral noise characterization. The poor analytical performance of the DR/FO spectrometer was attributed to the small illumination spot size of the reflection probe and thus the sensitivity of the measurements to the tablet engraving. The PLS analysis and spectral diagnostics both showed that transmission and reflection modes based on the Bruker MPA provided similar measurement accuracy for each strength. However, the robustness study clearly revealed that the transmission mode would be more robust than the reflection mode when there is considerable variability in the chemical composition and physical properties of tablets.

Near infrared spectroscopy and process analytical technology to master the process of busulfan paediatric capsules in a university hospital

The prescription of unlicensed oral medicines in paediatrics leads the hospital pharmacists to compound hard capsules, such as busulfan, an alkylating agent prescribed in preparative regimens for bone marrow transplantation. In this study, we have investigated how the general principle of process analytical technology (PAT) can be implemented at the small size of our hospital pharmacy manufacturing unit. Near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) was calibrated for raw material identification, blend uniformity analysis and final content uniformity of busulfan hard capsules of 11 different strengths. Measurements were performed on capsules from 2 to 40 mg (n=440). After optimisation, accuracy and linearity of the NIRS quantitative method was demonstrated after comparison with a previously validated quantitative high performance thin layer chromatography (HPTLC) method. Such a comparison led to attractive NIRS precision: +/-0.7 to +/-1.0 mg for capsules from 2 to 40 mg, respectively. As NIRS is a rapid and non-destructive technique, the individual control of a whole batch of busulfan paediatric capsules intended to be administrated is possible. Actually, mastering the process of busulfan paediatric capsules with the NIRS integrated into the notion of PAT is a powerful analytical tool to assess the process quality and to perform content uniformity of at least 5mg busulfan-containing capsules.

Construction of universal quantitative models for determination of roxithromycin and erythromycin ethylsuccinate in tablets from different manufacturers using near infrared reflectance spectroscopy

Universal quantitative models using NIR reflectance spectroscopy were developed for the analysis of API contents (active pharmaceutical ingredient) in roxithromycin and erythromycin ethylsuccinate tablets from different manufacturers in China. The two quantitative models were built from 78 batches of roxithromycin samples from 18 different manufacturers with the API content range from 19.5% to 73.9%, and 66 batches erythromycin ethylsuccinate tablets from 36 manufacturers with the API content range from 28.1% to 70.9%. Three different spectrometers were used for model construction in order to have robust and universal models. The root mean square errors of cross validation (RMSECV) and the root mean square errors of prediction (RMSEP) of the model for roxithromycin tablets were 1.84% and 1.45%, respectively. The values of RMSECV and RMSEP of the model for erythromycin ethylsuccinate tablets were 2.31% and 2.16%, respectively. Based on the ICH guidelines and characteristics of NIR spectroscopy, the quantitative models were then evaluated in terms of specificity, linearity, accuracy, precision, robustness and model transferability. Our study has shown that it is feasible to build a universal quantitative model for quick analysis of pharmaceutical products from different manufacturers. Therefore, the NIR method could be used as an effective method for quick, non-destructive inspection of medicines in the distribution channels or open market.

Comparison of FT-NIR transmission and UV-vis spectrophotometry to follow the mixing kinetics and to assay low-dose tablets containing riboflavin

For several years, near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) has become an analytical technique of great interest for the pharmaceutical industry, particularly for the non-destructive analysis of dosage forms. The goal of this study is to show the capacity of this new technique to assay the active ingredient in low-dosage tablets. NIR spectroscopy is a rapid, non-destructive technique and does not need any sample preparation. As an example, a binary mixture of microcrystalline cellulose and riboflavin was used to prepare tablets of different weights by direct compression. A prediction model was built by using a partial least square regression fit method. The NIR assay was performed by transmission. The results obtained by NIR spectroscopy were compared with a conventional UV-vis spectrophotometry method. The study showed that tablets can be individually analysed by NIR with high accuracy. It was shown that the variability of this new technique is less important than that of the conventional method which is the UV-vis spectrophotometry.

Choice and validation of a near infrared spectroscopic application for the identity control of starting materials. practical experience with the EU draft Note for Guidance on the use of near infrared spectroscopy by the pharmaceutical industry and the data to be forwarded in part II of the dossier for a marketing authorization

Recently the CPMP/CVMP sent out for consultation the draft Note for Guidance (dNfG) on the use of near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) by the pharmaceutical industry and the data to be forwarded in part II of the dossier for a marketing authorization. We explored the practicability of this dNfG with respect to the verification of the correct identity of starting materials in a generic tablet-manufacturing site. Within the boundaries of the dNfG, a release procedure was developed for 12 substances containing structurally related compounds and substances differing only in particle size. For the method development literature data were also taken into consideration. Good results were obtained with wavelength correlation (WC), applied on raw spectra or second derivative spectra both without smoothing. The defined threshold of 0.98 for raw spectra differentiated between all molecular structures. Both methods were found to be robust over a period of 1 year. For the differentiation between the different particle sizes a subsequent second chemometric technique had to be used. Soft independent modelling of class analogy (SIMCA) with a probability level of 0.01 proved suitable. Internal and external validation I according to the dNfG showed no incorrect rejections or false acceptances. External validation II according to the dNfG was carried out with 95 potentially interfering substances from which 46 were tested experimentally. Macrogol 400 was not distinguished from macrogol 300. For the complete verification of the identity of macrogol 300 test A of the European Pharmacopoeia is needed in addition to the NIRS application. A release procedure developed with WC applied on raw spectra and SIMCA as a second method, which is different from the preferred method of the dNfG, was tested in practice with good results. We conclude that the dNfG has good practicability and that deviations from the preferred methods of the dNfG can also give good differentiation.

Quantitative determination of crystallinity of alpha-lactose monohydrate by Near Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS)

The purpose of this study was to determine quantitatively the crystallinity in crystalline/amorphous powder mixtures of lactose, to asses the capability of Near Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS) for quantitative determination of crystallinity and to compare the accuracy of the NIRS method with that of conventional X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD). Amorphous lactose was prepared by spray drying. Samples with different crystallinity were prepared by physical mixing of 100% amorphous and 100% crystalline materials. The samples were characterized by XRPD and NIRS. Analysis was performed on the data sets by multiple linear regression (MLR). There is a close correlation between the predicted and the actual crystallinity of physical mixtures of crystalline and amorphous lactose, determined by NIRS (R(2)=0.9994). NIRS results were compared to the XRPD using the same sample sets. The correlation coefficients was 0.9981. The results showed that NIRS is an useful method for accurately determining low quantities of the crystalline lactose in a physical mixture. Therefore, NIRS can be used for the quantitative determination of crystallinity of materials during pharmaceutical procedures.

Use of FT-NIR transmission spectroscopy for the quantitative analysis of an active ingredient in a translucent pharmaceutical topical gel formulation

The objective of this study was to demonstrate the use of transmission Fourier transform near-infrared (FT-NIR) spectroscopy for quantitative analysis of an active ingredient in a translucent gel formulation. Gels were prepared using Carbopol 980 with 0%, 1%, 2%, 4%, 6%, and 8% ketoprofen and analyzed with an FT-NIR spectrophotometer operated in the transmission mode. The correlation coefficient of the calibration was 0.9996, and the root mean squared error of calibration was 0.0775%. The percent relative standard deviation for multiple measurements was 0.10%. The results prove that FT-NIR can be a good alternative to other, more time-consuming means of analysis for these types of formulations.

Identification and quantitation assays for intact tablets of two related pharmaceutical preparations by reflectance near-infrared spectroscopy: validation of the procedure

Quantitative analysis based on near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy uses individual calibration equations for each sample studied because of the need to model all possible chemical and physical variability sources. A NIR method, using a fibre optical probe, for the analysis of two different and related pharmaceuticals from two different production steps (cores and tablets) is studied. Both pharmaceuticals have the same active principle and similar excipients, but with different nominal concentration values. The pharmaceuticals are identified by comparison using a second-derivative spectral library; an identification procedure consisting of two-steps (cascade) library: correlation coefficient followed by maximum distance in wavelength space is proposed. Once a sample has been positively identified, the active principle is quantified with partial least-squares regression (PLSR) using a sole and global calibration. The proposed method was validated for use as a control method, and for this purpose selectivity of the identification process, and the repeatability, intermediate precision, accuracy, linearity, and robustness of the active principle quantitation, were assessed.

Application of standardisation methods to correct the spectral differences induced by a fibre optic probe used for the near-infrared analysis of pharmaceutical tablets

Near infrared spectroscopy has become very popular in the pharmaceutical industry because of many important practical advantages. With the help of powerful chemometric techniques, multivariate calibration models are developed, relating near-infrared spectra to the values to be modelled. However, because of small instrumental differences between near-infrared spectrometers, a calibration model can only be used with spectra collected on the same instrument, which represents a serious limitation for the use of near-infrared spectroscopy in the pharmaceutical industry. To deal with this important problem, a certain number of different standardisation approaches were proposed in the literature. In this article, an application of instrument standardisation methods is presented, where two different data measurement modules (internal measurement cell and external fibre optic module) of a near-infrared spectrometer must be standardised for the quantitative determination of an active compound in pharmaceutical tablets.

Utilization of Fourier transform-Raman spectroscopy for the study of pharmaceutical crystal forms

It is well understood that the solid state physical characterization of a drug substance is necessary for successful development and approval of a pharmaceutical product AAPS [1]. Physical analytical techniques used include: XRD, IR, DSC, TG, and NMR. Recently, Fourier transform (FT) Raman spectroscopy has become a more common technique. Complimentary to IR, FT-Raman can be used to differentiate between different crystal forms of a drug substance. FT-Raman exhibits several advantages over IR and the other physical analytical techniques. Very little sample is required with no preparation (dilution), analysis time is quick, and since water is a weak scatter (Raman spectrum of water contains three low intensity peaks), crystallization studies of drug substances from aqueous solutions can be performed. Additionally, through the use of a variable-temperature accessory, phase diagrams can be determined for crystal systems, leading to further characterization of those systems. This paper introduces the use of FT-Raman spectroscopy for pharmaceutical development activities. Specific examples will be shown for investigations of crystal forms (qualitative and quantitative) and crystallization studies.

Determination of moisture in hard gelatin capsules using near-infrared spectroscopy: applications to at-line process control of pharmaceutics

A method is proposed in which diffuse reflectance near-infrared spectroscopy (NIR) is applied in an at-line process analytical interface to determine moisture content in bulk hard gelatin capsules. Capsule samples were equilibrated at various relative humidities and the moisture contents were determined using loss on drying (LOD). Different multivariate calibration methods using multiple linear regression (MLR) and partial least squares regression (PLSR) and various spectral pretreatments were compared. No sample pretreatment was required and the analysis time was 1-2 min. The investigated range for the moisture determination was 5.6-18.0% w/w and the root mean square error of prediction (RMSEP) value was 0.1% w/w.

Development and validation of analytical methodology for near-infrared conformance testing of pharmaceutical intermediates

An approach was developed to create and validate analytical methods to perform near-infrared (NIR) conformance testing on two isolated intermediates used in the manufacture of loracarbef monohydrate bulk drug substance. Method calibration sets were developed from second-derivative NIR reflectance spectra for 30 representative batches of each intermediate. In conformance testing, second-derivative NIR spectra for samples from newly manufactured batches are compared with the calibration set. If the new spectrum is not statistically different to the average of the calibration set, the sample passes the conformance test. Using authentic batch samples of typical and low-potency lots, the methods were validated for accuracy, selectivity, ruggedness and repeatability of the methods.

Near-infrared spectroscopic characterization of pharmaceutical powder blends

Near-infrared (near-IR) spectroscopy was used to qualitatively assess the homogeneity of a typical direct compression pharmaceutical powder blend consisting of hydrochlorothiazide, fast-flo lactose, croscarmellose sodium, and magnesium stearate. Near-IR diffuse reflectance spectra were collected from thieved powder samples using a grating-based spectrometer. A second-derivative calculation and principal component analysis were performed on the spectra prior to qualitative evaluation. Blend homogeneity was determined using single- and multiple-sample bootstrap algorithms and traditional chi-square analysis. The results suggested that bootstrap techniques provided greater sensitivity for assessing blend homogeneity than chi-square calculations and that near-IR has great potential as an analytical tool in powder blend analysis.

Near-infrared spectroscopy as a tool to improve quality

Near-infrared spectroscopy, together with a polar qualification system, is an ideal technique to distinguish between identical pharmaceutical substances differing only slightly in chemical or physical characteristics. Among the attractive application of this powerful combination are the more precise definition and selection of starting materials used in the manufacturing of medicinal products and its use in blending validation.

Automated system for the on-line monitoring of powder blending processes using near-infrared spectroscopy. Part I. System development and control

An automated system for the on-line monitoring of powder blending processes is described. The system employs near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy using fibre-optics and a graphical user interface (GUI) developed in the LabVIEW environment. The complete supervisory control and data analysis (SCADA) software controls blender and spectrophotometer operation and performs statistical spectral data analysis in real time. A data analysis routine using standard deviation is described to demonstrate an approach to the real-time determination of blend homogeneity.

Determination of film-coated tablet parameters by near-infrared spectroscopy

Near-infrared (near-IR) spectroscopy was used in the determination of three parameters of theophylline tablets film-coated with ethylcellulose. Spectra of individual intact tablets were collected on two near-IR spectrometers: a grating-based spectrometer, and an acousto-optic tunable filter spectrometer. Calibrations were developed for the prediction of the time to 50% dissolution (t50%) of theophylline for tablets of varying coat thickness, for the determination of the thickness of the ethylcellulose coat applied, and for the prediction of the hardness of coated tablets. Principal component analysis was performed on the spectra prior to calibration development. The standard errors of calibration (SEC) and prediction (SEP) for determination of dissolution rates were 2.8 and 6.6 min, respectively. The SEC for the coating thickness calibration was 0.0002 inches, with an SEP of 0.00024 inches, and the SEC and SEP for the determination of tablet hardness were 0.54 and 0.62 kilopons, respectively.

Quality control in manufacturing process by near infrared spectroscopy

The combination of a pattern recognition technique with near infrared spectroscopy (NIR) to determine the conformity of a pharmaceutical mixture can be used in the routine checking of a pharmaceutical product. All the chemical and physical characteristics of the product that influence the NIR spectrum affect the qualification. The qualification is used to determine several deviations in the process: moisture, particle size and non-homogeneity. This work presents a method for the qualification analysis of a pharmaceutical mixture using the standard software of the instrument and a new program (DISPLOT). This program allows the acquisition of the plot of the scaled distances with its sign vs the wavelength.