Calculating qualified non-mutagenic impurity levels: Harmonization of approaches.

The presence of impurities in drugs is unavoidable. As impurities offer no direct benefit to the patient, it is critical that impurities do not compromise patient safety. Current guidelines on the derivation of acceptable impurity levels leave aspects of calculations open for interpretation, resulting in inconsistencies across industry and regulators. To understand current impurity qualification practices from a safety standpoint, regulatory expectations and the safety risk that impurities pose, the IQ DruSafe Impurities Working Group (WG) conducted a pharmaceutical industry-wide survey. Survey results highlighted areas that could benefit from harmonization, including nonclinical species/sex selection and the application of adjustment factors (i.e., body surface area). Recommendations for alignment on these topics is included in this publication. Additionally, the WG collated repeat-dose toxicity information for 181 starting materials and intermediates, reflective of pharmaceutical impurities, to understand the toxicological risks they generally pose in relation to the drug substance (DS) and the assumptions surrounding the calculation of qualified impurity levels. An evaluation of this dataset and the survey were used to harmonize how to calculate a safe limit for an impurity based on toxicology testing of the impurity when present within the DS.

Principles and procedures for implementation of ICH M7 recommended (Q)SAR analyses.

The ICH M7 guideline describes a consistent approach to identify, categorize, and control DNA reactive, mutagenic, impurities in pharmaceutical products to limit the potential carcinogenic risk related to such impurities. This paper outlines a series of principles and procedures to consider when generating (Q)SAR assessments aligned with the ICH M7 guideline to be included in a regulatory submission. In the absence of adequate experimental data, the results from two complementary (Q)SAR methodologies may be combined to support an initial hazard classification. This may be followed by an assessment of additional information that serves as the basis for an expert review to support or refute the predictions. This paper elucidates scenarios where additional expert knowledge may be beneficial, what such an expert review may contain, and how the results and accompanying considerations may be documented. Furthermore, the use of these principles and procedures to yield a consistent and robust (Q)SAR-based argument to support impurity qualification for regulatory purposes is described in this manuscript.

2,2,3-Trisubstituted Tetrahydrofurans and 2H-Tetrahydropyrans by Tandem Demethoxycarbonylation-Michael Addition Reactions.

A tandem demethoxycarbonylation-Michael addition reaction has been developed as a synthetic route to highly functionalized five- and six-membered oxygen heterocycles. Methyl esters, activated toward decarboxylation by a C-2 ethoxycarbonyl group and tethered by a three- or four-atom chain to an acrylate Michael acceptor, have been prepared and used as the cyclization substrates. Treatment of these compounds with lithium chloride in DMEU (1,3-dimethyl-2-imidazolidinone) at 120 degrees C for 4-8 h results in chemoselective S(N)2 dealkylation of the methyl esters, decarboxylation, and cyclization of the intermediate enolates by a Michael addition to the pendent acrylate moiety. This affords tetrahydrofuran and 2H-tetrahydropyran derivatives in 60-90% yields with diastereoselectivities up to 7.5:1 in favor of the product having the C-2 ethoxycarbonyl group trans to the C-3 acetic ester side chain. The reaction works best for the preparation of five- and six-membered rings, and cyclizations proceed most cleanly from substrates which cyclize through a tertiary enolate. Synthetic and mechanistic details are presented.