Pharmaceutical Forced Degradation (Stress Testing) Endpoints: A Scientific Rationale and Industry Perspective.

Forced degradation (i.e., stress testing) of small molecule drug substances and products is a critical part of the drug development process, providing insight into the intrinsic stability of a drug that is foundational to the development and validation of stability-indicating analytical methods. There is a lack of clarity in the scientific literature and regulatory guidance as to what constitutes an "appropriate" endpoint to a set of stress experiments. That is, there is no clear agreement regarding how to determine if a sample has been sufficiently stressed. Notably, it is unclear what represents a suitable justification for declaring a drug substance (DS) or drug product (DP) "stable" to a specific forced degradation condition. To address these concerns and to ensure all pharmaceutically-relevant, potential degradation pathways have been suitably evaluated, we introduce a two-endpoint classification designation supported by experimental data. These two endpoints are 1) a % total degradation target outcome (e.g., for "reactive" drugs) or, 2) a specified amount of stress, even in the absence of any degradation (e.g., for "stable" drugs). These recommended endpoints are based on a review of the scientific literature, regulatory guidance, and a forced degradation data set from ten global pharmaceutical companies. The experimental data set, derived from the Campbell et al. (2022) benchmarking study,1 provides justification for the recommendations. Herein we provide a single source reference for small molecule DS and DP forced degradation stress conditions and endpoint best practices to support regulatory submissions (e.g., marketing applications). Application of these forced degradation conditions and endpoints, as part of a well-designed, comprehensive and a sufficiently rigorous study plan that includes both the DS and DP, provides comprehensive coverage of pharmaceutically-relevant degradation and avoids unreasonably extreme stress conditions and drastic endpoint recommendations sometimes found in the literature.

Assessing the Relevance of Solution Phase Stress Testing of Solid Dosage Form Drug Products: A Cross-Industry Benchmarking Study.

Stress testing (also known as forced degradation) of pharmaceutical products has long been recognized as a critical part of the drug development process, providing foundational information related to intrinsic stability characteristics and to the development of stability-indicating analytical methods. A benchmarking study was undertaken by nine pharmaceutical companies and the Brazilian Health Regulatory Agency (Agência Nacional de Vigilância Sanitária, or ANVISA) with a goal of understanding the utility of various stress testing conditions for producing pharmaceutically-relevant chemical degradation of drugs. Special consideration was given to determining whether solution phase stress testing of solid drug products produced degradation products that were both unique when compared to other stress conditions and relevant to the formal drug product stability data. The results from studies of 62 solid dosage form drug products were compiled.  A total of 387 degradation products were reported as being observed in stress testing studies, along with 173 degradation products observed in accelerated and/or long-term stability studies for the 62 drug products.  Among these, 25 of the stress testing degradation products were unique to the solution phase stress testing of the drug products; however, none of these unique degradation products were relevant to the formal stability data. The relevant degradation products were sufficiently accounted for by stress testing studies that included only drug substance stressing (in solution and in the solid state) and drug product stressing (in the solid state). Based on these results, it is the opinion of the authors that for solid dosage form drug products, well-designed stress testing studies need not include solution phase stress testing of the drug product in order to be comprehensive.

The Degradation Chemistry of Prasugrel Hydrochloride: Part 1-Drug Substance.

Prasugrel hydrochloride is the active ingredient in Effient™, a thienopyridine platelet inhibitor. An extensive study of the degradation chemistry of prasugrel hydrochloride (LY640315 hydrochloride) has been carried out on the drug substance (part I) and on the drug product (part II, future article) using a multidimensional approach including hydrolytic, oxidative, and photolytic stressing, computational chemistry, HPLC analysis, and structure elucidation by various spectroscopic techniques. The major degradation products formed from the drug substance under the various stress conditions have been isolated and structures unambiguously determined, and the pathways leading to these products have been proposed. Fourteen new (not previously disclosed) products were discovered and characterized, in addition to 4 degradation products that had been previously identified in the literature. The pathways indicate that prasugrel is susceptible to hydrolysis, autoxidation (both radical-initiated and single-electron mediated), and peroxide-mediated oxidation; in solution, prasugrel is susceptible to photodegradation.

Mechanistic Studies of the N-formylation of Edivoxetine, a Secondary Amine-Containing Drug, in a Solid Oral Dosage Form.

Edivoxetine (LY2216684 HCl), although a chemically stable drug substance, has shown the tendency to degrade in the presence of carbohydrates that are commonly used tablet excipients, especially at high excipient:drug ratios. The major degradation product has been identified as N-formyl edivoxetine. Experimental evidence including solution and solid-state investigations, is consistent with the N-formylation degradation pathway resulting from a direct reaction of edivoxetine with (1) formic acid (generated from decomposition of microcrystalline cellulose or residual glucose) and (2) the reducing sugar ends (aldehydic carbons) of either residual glucose or the microcrystalline cellulose polymer. Results of labeling experiments indicate that the primary source of the formyl group is the C1 position from reducing sugars. Presence of water or moisture accelerates this degradation pathway. Investigations in solid and solution states support that the glucose Amadori Rearrangement Product does not appear to be a direct intermediate leading to N-formyl degradation of edivoxetine, and oxygen does not appear to play a significant role. Solution-phase studies, developed to rapidly assess propensity of amines toward Maillard reactivity and formylation, were extended to show comparative behavior with example systems. The cyclic amine systems, such as edivoxetine, showed the highest propensity toward these side reactions.

Determination of the Degradation Chemistry of the Antitumor Agent Pemetrexed Disodium.

Stress-testing (forced degradation) studies have been conducted on pemetrexed disodium heptahydrate (1) (LY231514·2Na·7H2O) drug substance in order to identify its likely degradation products and establish its degradation pathways. Solid samples of the drug substance were stressed under various conditions of heat, humidity, and light, and solutions of the drug substance were stressed under various conditions of heat, light, oxidation, and over a wide pH range (1-13). The stressed samples were analyzed using a gradient elution reversed-phase HPLC method. The 7 major degradation products detected in the stress-testing studies were isolated, and the structures were elucidated via spectroscopic characterization. The structures of the degradation products and their proposed mechanisms of formation indicate that 1 degrades via 2 main pathways: oxidation and hydrolysis. Of the 7 identified degradation products, 6 are proposed to result from oxidation and 1 from hydrolysis.

Formation of copper(I) from trace levels of copper(II) as an artifactual impurity in the HPLC analysis of olanzapine.

An analytical artifact peak appearing to be an impurity was observed intermittently among several laboratories performing HPLC analyses of olanzapine drug substance and formulation samples. The artifact peak was identified as Cu(I) that was formed from the reaction of trace amounts of Cu(II) with olanzapine in the sample solution. Unlike Cu(II), Cu(I) was retained under the ion-pairing HPLC conditions used for analysis. A reaction mechanism was postulated whereby Cu(II) present in the sample solution oxidizes olanzapine to a radical-cation, resulting in formation of Cu(I) and three oxidation products of olanzapine including a previously unknown oxidation product that was identified as hydroxy-olanzapine. Acetonitrile in the sample solution was necessary for the reaction to occur. As little as 100 ppb Cu(II) in the sample solution produced a Cu(I) peak, that by peak area, corresponded to about 0.1% relative to the olanzapine peak. The hydroxy-olanzapine oxidation product was also detectable, but the relative peak area was much smaller. To prevent formation of the Cu(I) artifact peak, EDTA was added to the sample solvent to complex any trace Cu(II) that might be present. The addition of EDTA was shown to prevent Cu(I) formation when Cu(II) was present at levels of 4ppm in the sample solution.

Investigation of the mechanism of racemization of litronesib in aqueous solution: unexpected base-catalyzed inversion of a fully substituted carbon chiral center.

Mitosis inhibitor (R)-litronesib (LY2523355) is a 1,3,4-thiadiazoline-bearing phenyl and N-(2-ethylamino)ethanesulfonamido-methyl substituents on tetrahedral C5. Chiral instability has been observed at pH 6 and above with the rate of racemization increasing with pH. A positively charged trigonal intermediate is inferred from the fact that p-methoxy substituent on the phenyl accelerated racemization, whereas a p-trifluoromethyl substituent had the opposite effect. Racemization is proposed to occur through a relay mechanism involving intramolecular deprotonation of the sulfonamide by the side chain amino group and attack of the sulfonamide anion on C5, cleaving the C5S bond, to form an aziridine; heterolytic dissociation of the aziridine yields an ylide. This pathway is supported by (1) a crystal structure providing evidence for a hydrogen bond between the sulfonamide NH and the amino group, (2) effects of substituents on the rate of racemization, and (3) computational studies. This racemization mechanism results from neighboring group effects in this densely functionalized molecule. Of particular novelty is the involvement of the side-chain secondary amino group, which overcomes the weak acidity of the sulfonamide by anchimeric assistance.

Implications of in-use photostability: proposed guidance for photostability testing and labeling to support the administration of photosensitive pharmaceutical products, part 1: drug products administered by injection.

Basic guidance on the photostability testing of pharmaceuticals, designed to cover manufacturing and storage over shelf life, has long been established within ICH Q1(ICH,B(10) , but the guideline does not cover the photostability of drugs during or after administration (i.e., under conditions of use). To date, there has been a paucity of guidance covering the additional testing that would be of value during the clinical preparation and use of products. This commentary suggests a systematic approach, based on realistic "worst case" photoexposure scenarios and the existing ICH Option 1 and 2 light sources, to provide valuable data to pharmaceutical manufacturers and compounding pharmacists for the safe and effective use of photosensitive injection products.

Isolation, identification, and synthesis of two oxidative degradation products of olanzapine (LY170053) in solid oral formulations.

Two impurities found in both stressed and aged solid-state formulations of olanzapine have been identified as (Z)-1,3-dihydro-4-(4-methyl-1-piperazinyl)-2-(2-oxopropylidene)-2H-1,5-benzodiazepin-2-one (1) and (Z)-1-[1,2-dihydro-4-(4-methyl-1-piperazinyl)-2-thioxo-3H-1,5-benzodiazepin-3-ylidene]propan-2-one (2). The structures indicate that the two impurities are degradation products resulting from oxidation of the thiophene ring of olanzapine. The impurities were isolated by preparative HPLC from a thermally stressed formulation, and characterized by UV, IR, MS, and NMR. A synthetic preparation of compounds 1 and 2 by reaction of olanzapine with the singlet oxygen mimic 4-phenyl-1,2,4-triazoline-3,5-dione (PTAD) is presented. The structure of 2 was also determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. A degradation pathway for the formation of 1 and 2 is proposed.