Physical and chemical stability of reconstituted and diluted dexrazoxane infusion solutions.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Dexrazoxane is used clinically to prevent anthracycline-associated cardiotoxicity. Hydrolysis of dexrazoxane prior to reaching the cardiac membranes severely hampers its mode of action; therefore, degradation during the preparation and administration of intravenous dexrazoxane admixtures demands special attention. Moreover, the ongoing national shortage of one dexrazoxane formulation in the United States has forced pharmacies to dispense other commercially available dexrazoxane products. However, the manufacturers' limited stability data restrict the flexibility of dexrazoxane usage in clinical practice. The aims of this study are to determine the physical and chemical stability of reconstituted and diluted solutions of two commercially available dexrazoxane formulations. METHODS: The stability of two dexrazoxane products, brand and generic name, in reconstituted and intravenous solutions stored at room temperature without light protection in polyvinyl chloride bags was determined. The concentrations of dexrazoxane were measured at predetermined time points up to 24 h using a validated reversed phase high-performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection assay. RESULTS: Brand (B-) and generic (G-) dexrazoxane products, reconstituted in either sterile water or 0.167 M sodium lactate (final concentration of 10 mg/mL), were found stable for at least to 8 h. Infusion solutions of B-dexrazoxane, prepared according to each manufacturer's directions, were stable for at least 24 h and 8 h at 1 mg/mL and 3 mg/mL, respectively. Infusion solutions of G-dexrazoxane, prepared in either 5% dextrose or 0.9% sodium chloride following the manufacturer's guidelines, were also stable for at least 24 h and 8 h at 1 mg/mL and 3 mg/mL, respectively. All tested solutions were found physically stable up to 24 h at room temperature. CONCLUSION: The stability of dexrazoxane infusion solutions reported herein permits advance preparation of dexrazoxane intravenous admixtures, facilitating pharmacy workflow and clinical operations. However, due to the potential risks of fluid overload when these intravenous solutions are administered to patients, caution is advised to ensure patient safety.

Kinetic Study of the Alkaline Degradation of Oseltamivir Phosphate and Valacyclovir Hydrochloride using Validated Stability Indicating HPLC.

Aqueous alkaline degradation was performed for oseltamivir phosphate (OP) and valacyclovir hydrochloride (VA). Isocratic stability indicating the use of high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was presented for each drug in the presence of its degradation product. The separations were performed using the Nucleosil ODS column and a mobile phase consisting of phosphate buffer (pH = 7), acetonitrile, and methanol 50:25:25 (v/v/v) for OP. For VA separation, a Nucleosil CN column using phosphate buffer (pH = 7) and methanol 85:15 (v/v) was used as a mobile phase. Ultraviolet detection at 210 nm and 254 nm was used for OP and VA, respectively. The method showed high sensitivity concerning linearity, accuracy, and precision over the range 1-250 µg mL(-1) for both drugs. The proposed method was used to determine the drug in its pharmaceutical formulation and to investigate the degradation kinetics of each drug's alkaline-stressed samples. The reactions were found to follow a first-order reaction. The activation energy could also be estimated. International Conference on Harmonisation guidelines were adopted for method validation.