Varied Bulk Powder Properties of Micro-Sized API within Size Specifications as a Result of Particle Engineering Methods.

Micronized particles are commonly used to improve the content uniformity (CU), dissolution performance, and bioavailability of active pharmaceutical ingredients (API). Different particle engineering routes have been developed to prepare micron-sized API in a specific size range to deliver desirable biopharmaceutical performance. However, such API particles still risk varying bulk powder properties critical to successful manufacturing of quality drug products due to different particle shapes, size distribution, and surface energetics, arising from the anisotropy of API crystals. In this work, we systematically investigated key bulk properties of 10 different batches of Odanacatib prepared through either jet milling or fast precipitation, all of which meet the particle size specification established to ensure equivalent biopharmaceutical performance. However, they exhibited significantly different powder properties, solid-state properties, dissolution, and tablet CU. Among the 10 batches, a directly precipitated sample exhibited overall best performance, considering tabletability, dissolution, and CU. This work highlights the measurable impact of processing route on API properties and the importance of selecting a suitable processing route for preparing fine particles with optimal properties and performance.

One-step synthesis of 1-chloro-3-arylacetone derivatives from arylacetic acids.

A practical one-step method has been developed to prepare α-chloroketones from readily available, inexpensive phenylacetic acid derivatives. The method utilizes the unique reactivity of an intermediate Mg-enolate dianion, which displays selectivity for the carbonyl carbon of chloromethyl carbonyl electrophiles. Decarboxylation of the intermediate occurs spontaneously during the reaction quench. The utility of the reaction products has been demonstrated through the total synthesis of the natural product cimiracemate B.

Ortho effect in electron ionization mass spectrometry of N-acylanilines bearing a proximal halo substituent.

Electron ionization (EI) mass spectra are not very helpful for characterizing ortho, meta, and para isomers of underivatized haloanilines since their spectra are virtually identical. In contrast, when the amino group of chloro-, bromo-, or iodoanilines is transformed to an N-formyl, N-acetyl, or N-benzoyl derivative, the spectra of the derivatives reveal a highly dramatic loss of a halogen radical, instead of an HX elimination usually expected from an "ortho effect." For example, the spectra of N-formyl, N-acetyl, and N-benzoyl derivatives of ortho isomers of chloro-, bromo-, and iodoanilines show a very prominent peak at m/z 120, 134, and 196, respectively, for the loss of the corresponding halogen atom.