ICH Q3D based elemental impurities study in liquid pharmaceutical dosage form with high daily intake - comparative analysis by ICP-OES and ICP-MS

Enhanced ICP-MS detection of 24 elemental impurities in complex, high matrix mineral, medicinal lanthanum carbonates according to ICH Q2 (R2)

Validation of the specificity of ICP-MS methods by ICH Q2 (R2) through spiking experiments cannot characterize the multi-atomic interference of complex high matrix samples, possibly affecting the accuracy of the method and reliability of results. In this study, we highlight this issue by investigating the elemental impurities in lanthanum carbonate raw materials and use isotope ratio analysis to overcome this limitation and establishing an accurate ICP-MS method for 24 elemental impurities (listed in ICH Q3D). An Agilent 7900 ICP-MS was used with an automatic sampler for sample determination in the He mode. The isotope ratio of elemental impurities in the spiked samples was analyzed to characterize polyatomic interference and select the exclusive mass number of elemental impurities. While the recovery rate of most elemental impurities met the requirements, that of selenium (default measurement mass number 78Se) exceeded the standard in the matric sample. The isotope ratio of Se (78Se/82Se) was much higher than the theoretical value, indicating that the response intensity of m/z 78 was formed by the combination of 78Se and other mass-to-charge ratios, such as LaOH2+ formed by the large amount of La in the matrix. Therefore, 82 was chosen as the mass number for Se. The validation results indicate that the method has strong specificity, high accuracy, and is simple and facile. This study provides technical support for the control of elemental impurities in lanthanum carbonates and isotope ratios can be used as a supplementary means of spiked recovery rates.

Method for determination of elemental impurities in metronidazole benzoate using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry

The elemental impurities in pharmaceutical products have aroused widespread concern among respective supervising authorities and official pharmacopoeias since they are harmful and have no therapeutic effects. Metronidazole benzoate is used extensively to treat a variety of infections. However, impurities will inevitably be introduced in the manufacturing process of metronidazole benzoate. Hence, in this study, a sensitive method was developed for trace determination of elemental impurities in metronidazole benzoate active pharmaceutical ingredients by using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry in kinetic energy discrimination mode. The method was validated for system suitability, specificity, linearity, sensitivity, accuracy, and precision according to USP chapter <233> Elemental Impurities-Procedure. The method had good linearity with correlation coefficients > 0.99. The limits of detection were in the range of 0.0003-0.1411 μg/g, which was lower than the acceptable limit and indicated the high sensitivity of the method. The method was accurate with the recoveries in the range of 92%-107%. Moreover, the content of seven elemental impurities in the three batches of metronidazole benzoate active pharmaceutical ingredients by this method was originally below their limits and less than 30% of permitted daily exposure, meeting the requirement of International Council for Harmonization Q3D guidelines. Thus, this newly developed and validated method for estimating elemental impurities in metronidazole benzoate active pharmaceutical ingredients was within the permitted limit and suitable for routine use.

Metallic Impurities in Pharmaceuticals: An Overview

Backgroun:

Metallic impurities are the traces of metals that can be found in finished drug products.

Description:

These metallic impurities in pharmaceutical preparations can enter from formulation ingredients, catalysts, and process equipment, containers and closures. They are not completely removed from the product by practical manufacturing techniques and should be evaluated relative to safetybased limits. They can affect drug efficacy or produce direct toxic effect on the patient.

Methods:

In this paper, an attempt has been made to review these metallic impurities including potential sources and analytical procedures to quantify these impurities. ICH guideline on these impurities and measures to control impurities has also been discussed in the paper.

Results:

The implementation of ICH Q3D guideline with the quality risk assessment approach is an important milestone to harmonize control of elements worldwide.

Conclusion:

This approach allows manufacturers to provide vital information about the contribution of impurities in the drug product.

Elemental Impurities in Pediatric Calcium Carbonate Preparations-High Throughput Quantification and Risk Assessment

Calcium carbonate which is extracted from the Earth in combination with other mineral impurities, is largely used in preparations for pediatric supplements. Elemental impurities in drug products pose toxicological concerns without therapeutic benefits. Thus, it is very urgent to assess the safety of chronic exposure to elements that may be present in trace amounts. In the present study, we developed high throughput ICP-MS method for the quantitative determination of 62 elemental impurities in high matric calcium carbonate samples and validated according to USP 233. Calcium carbonate preparations which state clearly used for child (including neonates, infants, toddlers and children) from 9 manufactures and two types of raw materials (light calcium carbonate and ground calcium carbonate) were investigated in terms of the content and variability of 62 elemental impurities. According to the results, ground calcium carbonate was more suitable to be used in pediatric preparations concerning elemental impurities. Parts of elemental impurities in CaCO₃ preparations which are derived from the raw materials and the preparation process, may cause potential risks for children. These results indicate that it is necessary to establish a modern instrumental analysis method to evaluate and control elemental impurities in CaCO₃ raw materials and preparations.