Abstract:
OBJECTIVE To identify the structure of unknown impurities in lomefloxacin hydrochloride ear drops, analyze their formation cause, and establish a novel method for quality control.
METHODS The structure of unknown impurity was identified using liquid chromatography-ion trap-time-of-flight high-resolution mass spectrometry(LC/IT-TOF-MS). Stability studies were conducted on products from six manufacturers with different formulations and processes to investigate the impurity formation mechanism. The impurity analytical method was validated.
RESULTS The impurity was confirmed to result from the dehydration and condensation reaction between glycerol(an excipient in the formulation) and the C-N bond on the piperazine ring of lomefloxacin under high temperature condition. The newly developed HPLC analytical method demonstrated strong specificity, as well as satisfactory precision, accuracy, linearity, and robustness.
CONCLUSION This study provides guidance for controlling certain unknown impurity in pharmaceutical formulations and highlights the need for domestic manufacturers to address compatibility issues between active pharmaceutical ingredients(APIs) and excipients.