High-performance liquid chromatographic analysis of methadone in sustained release formulations

Development and validation of a HPLC-UV method for methadone hydrochloride quantification in a new oral solution with preservatives to be implemented in physicochemical stability studies

PURPOSE

The Pharmacy Service of the Infanta Leonor University Hospital acquires, compounds, distributes and dispenses more than 3000 L of methadone oral solution to Drug Addiction Patients Centers per year. Our purpose is to develop and validate an improved high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method to quantify methadone hydrochloride in a new oral solution with methylhydroxybenzoate (methylparaben) and propylhydroxybenzoate (propylparaben) to be implemented in physicochemical stability studies that allow to provide more information and even to increase the beyond-use date.

METHODS

A HPLC-Agilent® 1100 equipment, comprising a quaternary pump and an ultraviolet diode-array-detector (DAD) was used. An analytical method development and validation was completed. The curve was constructed from methadone working concentrations of 75-125% (7.5, 9.0, 10.0, 11.0 and 12.5 mg/mL) to assess the linear relationship between the concentration of the analyte and the obtained areas. Precision and accuracy were calculated. Detection and quantification limit (LD, LQ) were estimated using the EURACHEM method. Forced-degradation studies were also performed.

RESULTS

Chromatographic conditions were: flow rate 1.6 mL/min; mobile phase 55% acetonitrile and 45% sodium phosphate 25 mM (pH = 10); injection volume was 5 µL. The column was a Waters-XTerra™ RP18, maintained at 40 °C. DAD was λ = 254 nm. Retention times for methadone, methylparaben and propylparaben were 4.34, 0.70 and 0.88 min respectively. The method was linear (y = 284.3x - 97.8, r = 0.996). Instrumental precision was 0.33% for standards (n = 10); intra-assay precision 0.53% (n = 6) and inter-assay precision 1.95% (n = 12). The relative standard deviation percentage for accuracy was 1.28%. The recovery percentage was 101.5 ± 1.5%. LQ and LD were 2.18 µg/mL and 2.0 µg/mL respectively. The most destabilizing conditions were oxidizing and alkaline. The chromatograms confirmed no interference with the methadone signal.

CONCLUSIONS

The HPLC method has proved to be valid and reproducible for methadone quantification in a new oral solution with methylparaben and propylparaben. This assay is a rapid, simple and reliable technique that can be used in daily analysis and physicochemical stability studies.

Physicochemical and Microbiological Stability of Two Oral Solutions of Methadone Hydrochloride 10 mg/mL

In this article, we studied physicochemical and microbiological stability and determined the beyond-use date of two oral solutions of methadone in three storage conditions. For this, two oral solutions of methadone (10 mg/mL) were prepared, with and without parabens, as preservatives. They were packed in amber glass vials kept unopened until the day of the test, and in a multi-dose umber glass bottle opened daily. They were stored at 5 ± 3 °C, 25 ± 2 °C and 40 ± 2 °C. pH, clarity, and organoleptic characteristics were obtained. A stability-indicating high-performance liquid chromatography method was used to determine methadone. Microbiological quality was studied and antimicrobial effectiveness testing was also determined following European Pharmacopoeia guidelines. Samples were analyzed at days 0, 7, 14, 21, 28, 42, 56, 70, and 91 in triplicate. After 91 days of storage, pH remained stable at about 6.5–7 in the two solutions, ensuring no risk of methadone precipitation. The organoleptic characteristics remained stable (colorless, odorless, and bitter taste). The absence of particles was confirmed. No differences were found with the use of preservatives. Methadone concentration remained within 95–105% in all samples. No microbial growth was observed. Hence, the two oral methadone solutions were physically and microbiologically stable at 5 ± 3 °C, 25 ± 2 °C, and 40 ± 2 °C for 91 days in closed and opened amber glass bottles.

Liquid chromatographic methods validation for pharmaceutical products

The current status of validation in LC methods for the analysis of pharmaceuticals has been reviewed with special reference to compatibility testing methods. Validation data were provided in terms of method linearity, accuracy, precision, system suitability, specificity, use of alternate methods, injection order, application of peak height or area measurements and of internal or external standards.

Pharmacokinetics of morphine and its surrogates. VII: High-performance liquid chromatographic analyses and pharmacokinetics of methadone and its derived metabolites in dogs

Reversed-phase HPLC assays with on-column UV detection and post-column fluorescent detection of ion pair-extracted material were developed and used for the quantitative assay of methadone, its presumed metabolites, and acid- and alkali-hydrolyzable conjugates of these metabolites in biological fluids with assay sensitivities of 10-20 ng/mL. Plasma, urine, and bile were monitored in dogs after intravenous bolus administration of 0.8, 1.0, 2.0, and 2.2 mg/kg methadone hydrochloride. Plasma-time data showed two sequential half-lives of 8.3 +/- 3.4 (SEM) and 128 +/- 37 min, with apparent dose-independent pharmacokinetics in the studied dose range. Total body clearances were 899 +/- 103 (SEM) mL/min. Renal clearances (6-82 mL/min) of methadone were highly variable within and among studies but showed no significant variation with urinary pH or flow rate. The percentages of the dose excreted in the urine as methadone and (+)-2-ethyl-1,5-dimethyl-3,3-diphenylpyrroline (2) were 3.6 +/- 0.5% (SEM) and 4.1 +/- 0.4% (SEM), respectively, but there were no significant concentrations of 2 in plasma. The presumed metabolites 2-ethyl-5-methyl-3,3-diphenyl-1-pyrroline (3), 1,5-dimethyl-3,3-diphenyl-2-pyrrolidone (4), (-)-alpha-N-normethadol (7), 4-dimethylamino-2,2-diphenylvaleric acid (8), p-hydroxymethadone (9), and (-)-alpha-methadol (10) were not observed in the plasma of dogs given methadone. Quantities of presumed metabolites 3, 4, 7, 8, 9, and 10 were negligible in urine (less than 0.03% of dose). No acid-hydrolyzable conjugates, or generators on acidification, of 3, 4, 7, 8, or 10 were detectable in urine. No alkali-hydrolyzable conjugates, or generators on alkalinization, of 3, 4, 8, or 10 were detectable in urine. There was no significant biliary secretion of unchanged methadone; 2 in bile amounted to only 2% of the dose. In bile and urine, 50% and 17-27%, respectively, of the radiolabeled dose was not extractable into hexane. In a non-bile-cannulated dog, 35% of the total radiolabeled intravenous dose was present in the feces. As much as 88% of an intravenous radiolabeled dose could be accounted for, even though only small amount of methadone was disposed through the metabolic routes claimed in the literature. The intravenous administration of 2 resulted in two sequential half-lives of 3 and 270 min and no apparent pharmacokinetic dose dependency. Amounts of 2 excreted unchanged in urine and bile were 23% and 5-16% of the dose, respectively. Renal and total body clearances were 170 and 1150 mL/min.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)