The flexibility of a generic LC-MS/MS method for the quantitative analysis of therapeutic proteins based on human immunoglobulin G and related constructs in animal studies.

An increasing demand of new analytical methods is associated with the growing number of biotherapeutic programs being prosecuted in the pharmaceutical industry. Whilst immunoassay has been the standard method for decades, a great interest in assays based on liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) is evolving. In this present work, the development of a generic method for the quantitative analysis of therapeutic proteins based on human immunoglobulin G (hIgG) in rat serum is reported. The method is based on four generic peptides GPSVFPLAPSSK (GPS), TTPPVLDSDGSFFLYSK (TTP), VVSVLTVLHQDWLNGK (VVS) and FNWYVDGVEVHNAK (FNW) originating from different parts of the fraction crystallizable (Fc) region of a reference hIgG1 (hIgG1A). A tryptic pellet digestion of rat serum spiked with hIgG1A and a stable isotope labeled protein (hIgG1B) used as internal standard (ISTD) was applied prior LC-MS/MS analysis. The upper limit of quantification was at 1000µg/mL. The lower limit of quantitation was for GPS, TTP and VVS at 1.00µg/mL whereas for FNW at 5.00µg/mL. Accuracy and precision data met acceptance over three days. The presented method was further successfully applied to the quantitative analysis of other hIgG1s (hIgG1C and hIgG1D) and hIgG4-based therapeutic proteins on spiked quality control (QC) samples in monkey and rat serum using calibration standards (Cs) prepared with hIgG1A in rat serum. In order to extend the applicability of our generic approach, a bispecific-bivalent hIgG1 (bb-hIgG1) and two lysine conjugated antibody-drug conjugates (ADC1 and ADC2) were incorporated as well. The observed values on spiked QC samples in monkey serum were satisfactory with GPS for the determination of bb-hIgG1 whereas the FNW and TTP peptides were suitable for the ADCs. Moreover, comparable mean concentration-time profiles were obtained from monkeys previously dosed intravenously with ADC2 measured against Cs samples prepared either with hIgG1A in rat serum (presented approach) or with the actual ADC2 in monkey serum (conventional approach). The results of this study highlight the great flexibility of our newly developed generic approach and that the choice of the surrogate peptide still remains critical when dealing with different matrix types or modalities.

Quantitative analysis of hIgG1 in monkey serum by LC-MS/MS using mass spectrometric immunoassay.

AIM: A sensitive generic LC-MS/MS method for hIgG1 quantification in cynomolgus monkey serum using mass spectrometric immunoassay disposable automation research tips (MSIA-D.A.R.T.'S™) is reported. RESULTS: The hIgG1 was captured with a biotinylated mouse anti-hIgG antibody (50.0 µg/ml) targeting the fragment crystallizable (Fc) region. Elution from the streptavidin-coated MSIA-D.A.R.T.'s was conducted with 0.4% trifluoroacetic acid in water. The method was selective and linear from 10.0 to 1000 ng/ml using 100 µl of serum. The method was evaluated regarding accuracy, precision, carry-over, dilution, auto-sampler stability and applied for the determination of hIgG1 concentration in monkey serum after intravitreal administration. CONCLUSION: The present assay is suitable for quantitative analysis of hIgG1-based therapeutic proteins in monkey serum at low levels.

Analysis of small molecule antibody-drug conjugate catabolites in rat liver and tumor tissue by liquid extraction surface analysis micro-capillary liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry.

RATIONALE: Antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) are some of the most promising antibody-related therapeutics. The fate of the cytotoxic moiety of ADCs in vivo after proteolytic degradation of the antibody needs to be well understood in order to mitigate toxicity risks and design proper first in patient studies. METHODS: The feasibility of liquid extraction surface analysis micro-capillary liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LESA-µLC/MS/MS) was tested for direct surface sampling of two possible ADC catabolites composed of synthetically modified maytansinoid (DM1) and 4-[N-maleimidomethyl]cyclohexane-1-carbonyl (MCC) from rat liver and tumor tissue. Moreover, the iMatrixSpray was incorporated to prepare calibration standards (Cs) and quality control (QC) samples by spraying analyte solution at different concentrations directly on blank tissue. RESULTS: Lys-MCC-DM1 sprayed on blank liver tissue was homogeneously distributed (12.3% variability). The assay was selective (inference ≤20%) and linear from 50.0 to 1000 ng/mL without any carry-over. Inter-run accuracy and precision were ≤2.3% and ≤25.9% meeting acceptance. Lys-MCC-DM1 was the only catabolite detected in liver and tumor tissue and was most likely responsible for the total radioactivity signal in liver tissue 72 h post-dose measured by quantitative whole body autoradiography (QWBA). CONCLUSIONS: Both analytical assays (LESA-µLC/MS/MS and QWBA) are complementary to each other and provide useful quantitative and qualitative information in spatial tissue distribution of ADCs and their related catabolites. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Quantitative analysis of maytansinoid (DM1) in human serum by on-line solid phase extraction coupled with liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry - Method validation and its application to clinical samples.

A sensitive and specific method was developed and validated for the quantitation of maytansinoid (DM1) in human serum using on-line solid phase extraction (SPE)-liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Because DM1 contains a free thiol moiety, likely to readily dimerize or react with other thiol-containing molecules in serum, samples were pre-treated with a reducing agent [tris (2-carboxyethyl) phosphine] (TCEP) and further blocked with N-ethylmaleimide (NEM). The resulting samples were diluted with acetonitrile prior to the on-line solid phase extraction (SPE) on a C18 cartridge. A C18 (150×4.6mm ID 3µm particle size) column was used for chromatographic separation with a 10.0min HPLC gradient and DM1-NEM was detected in the selected reaction monitoring mode of a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer. DM1 concentrations were back-calculated from DM1-NEM amount found in the human serum samples. The quantitation range of the method was 0.200-200ng/mL when using 0.25mL serum. Within-run day precisions (n=6) were 0.9-4.4% and between-run day (3 days runs; n=18) precisions 2.5-5.6%. Method biases were between 3.5-14.5% across the whole calibration range. DM1-NEM exhibited sufficiently stability under all relevant analytical conditions and no DM1 losses from the ADC were observed. Finally, the assay was used for DM1 determination in human serum concentration after the intravenous administration of an investigational antibody drug conjugate (ADC) containing DM1 as payload.

The use of generic surrogate peptides for the quantitative analysis of human immunoglobulin G1 in pre-clinical species with high-resolution mass spectrometry.

In the present study, the application of a liquid chromatography high-resolution mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS) analytical assay for the quantitative analysis of a recombinant human immunoglobulin G1 (hIgG1) in rat serum is reported using three generic peptides GPSVFPLAPSSK (GPS), TTPPVLDSDGSFFLYSK (TTP), and VVSVLTVLHQDWLNGK (VVS). Moreover, the deamidation site of a fourth peptide FNWYVDGVEVHNAK (FNW) was identified and further excluded from the assay evaluation due to the inaccuracy of the quantitative results. The rat serum samples were spiked with a fully labeled hIgG1 as internal standard (ISTD). The digestion with trypsin was performed onto the pellet prior to peptide analysis by LC-HRMS using a quadrupole time of flight (QTOF) mass analyzer operating in selected reaction monitoring (SRM) mode with enhanced duty cycles (EDC). The assay linearity for the three investigated peptides was established for a hIgG1 (hIgG1A) from 1.00 to 1000 µg mL(-1) with a mean coefficient of determination (R (2)) higher than 0.9868. The inter-day accuracy and precision obtained in rat serum over 3 days were ≤11.4 and ≤10.5%, respectively. Short-term stability on the auto-sampler at 6 °C for 30 h, at RT for 48 h, and a 100-fold dilution factor were demonstrated. In addition, QC samples prepared in cynomolgus monkey serum and measured with the present method met the acceptance criteria of ±20.0 and ≤20.0% for all three peptides regarding accuracy and precision, respectively. The LC-HRMS method was applied to the analysis of samples from five individual cynomolgus monkeys dosed with a second hIgG1 (hIgG1B) and consistent data were obtained compared to the LC-MS/MS method (conventional triple quadrupole (QqQ) mass analyzer operating in SRM). The present data demonstrate that LC-HRMS can be used for the quantitative analysis of hIgG1 in both species and that quantification is not only limited to classical QqQ instruments.

Ultrafast quantitative MS-based method for ceritinib analysis in human plasma samples from clinical trial.

AIM: An ultrafast, sensitive, selective and robust LDTD-APCI-MS/MS method was developed for the quantification of ceritinib in human plasma. RESULTS: Samples were protein precipitated using acetonitrile containing [(13)C6]-ceritinib as internal standard. The assay was validated over a concentration range from 5.00 to 1000 ng/ml. Intra- and inter-day precision and accuracy met acceptance from EMA and US FDA guidelines. The normalized recovery was 69%, whereas no carryover and matrix effects were observed. The method was applied to clinical samples and resultant data were consistent with the LC-ESI-MS/MS reference method. CONCLUSION: The new assay is suitable for ceritinib quantification in clinical trials, whereas the analysis time is significantly reduced to 10 s.

New microfluidic-based sampling procedure for overcoming the hematocrit problem associated with dried blood spot analysis.

Hematocrit (Hct) is one of the most critical issues associated with the bioanalytical methods used for dried blood spot (DBS) sample analysis. Because Hct determines the viscosity of blood, it may affect the spreading of blood onto the filter paper. Hence, accurate quantitative data can only be obtained if the size of the paper filter extracted contains a fixed blood volume. We describe for the first time a microfluidic-based sampling procedure to enable accurate blood volume collection on commercially available DBS cards. The system allows the collection of a controlled volume of blood (e.g., 5 or 10 µL) within several seconds. Reproducibility of the sampling volume was examined in vivo on capillary blood by quantifying caffeine and paraxanthine on 5 different extracted DBS spots at two different time points and in vitro with a test compound, Mavoglurant, on 10 different spots at two Hct levels. Entire spots were extracted. In addition, the accuracy and precision (n = 3) data for the Mavoglurant quantitation in blood with Hct levels between 26% and 62% were evaluated. The interspot precision data were below 9.0%, which was equivalent to that of a manually spotted volume with a pipet. No Hct effect was observed in the quantitative results obtained for Hct levels from 26% to 62%. These data indicate that our microfluidic-based sampling procedure is accurate and precise and that the analysis of Mavoglurant is not affected by the Hct values. This provides a simple procedure for DBS sampling with a fixed volume of capillary blood, which could eliminate the recurrent Hct issue linked to DBS sample analysis.

Phase II metabolism in human skin: skin explants show full coverage for glucuronidation, sulfation, N-acetylation, catechol methylation, and glutathione conjugation.

Although skin is the largest organ of the human body, cutaneous drug metabolism is often overlooked, and existing experimental models are insufficiently validated. This proof-of-concept study investigated phase II biotransformation of 11 test substrates in fresh full-thickness human skin explants, a model containing all skin cell types. Results show that skin explants have significant capacity for glucuronidation, sulfation, N-acetylation, catechol methylation, and glutathione conjugation. Novel skin metabolites were identified, including acyl glucuronides of indomethacin and diclofenac, glucuronides of 17ß-estradiol, N-acetylprocainamide, and methoxy derivatives of 4-nitrocatechol and 2,3-dihydroxynaphthalene. Measured activities for 10 µM substrate incubations spanned a 1000-fold: from the highest 4.758 pmol·mg skin(-1)·h(-1) for p-toluidine N-acetylation to the lowest 0.006 pmol·mg skin(-1)·h(-1) for 17ß-estradiol 17-glucuronidation. Interindividual variability was 1.4- to 13.0-fold, the highest being 4-methylumbelliferone and diclofenac glucuronidation. Reaction rates were generally linear up to 4 hours, although 24-hour incubations enabled detection of metabolites in trace amounts. All reactions were unaffected by the inclusion of cosubstrates, and freezing of the fresh skin led to loss of glucuronidation activity. The predicted whole-skin intrinsic metabolic clearances were significantly lower compared with corresponding whole-liver intrinsic clearances, suggesting a relatively limited contribution of the skin to the body's total systemic phase II enzyme-mediated metabolic clearance. Nevertheless, the fresh full-thickness skin explants represent a suitable model to study cutaneous phase II metabolism not only in drug elimination but also in toxicity, as formation of acyl glucuronides and sulfate conjugates could play a role in skin adverse reactions.

Liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry method for the quantitative analysis of ceritinib in human plasma and its application to pharmacokinetic studies.

Ceritinib is a highly selective inhibitor of an important cancer target, anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK). Because it is an investigational compound, there is a need to develop a robust and reliable analytical method for its quantitative determination in human plasma. Here, we report the validation of a liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method for the rapid quantification of ceritinib in human plasma. The method consists of protein precipitation with acetonitrile, and salting-out assisted liquid-liquid extraction (SALLE) using a saturated solution of sodium chloride prior to analysis by LC-MS/MS with electrospray ionization (ESI) technique in positive mode. Samples were eluted at 0.800 mL min(-1) on Ascentis Express® C18 column (50 mm × 2.1 mm, 2.7 µm) with a mobile phase made of 0.1 % formic acid in water (A) and 0.1 % formic acid in acetonitrile (B). The method run time was 3.6 min and the low limit of quantification (LLOQ) was estimated at 1.00 ng mL(-1) when using 0.100 mL of human plasma. The assay was fully validated and the method exhibited sufficient specificity, accuracy, precision, and sensitivity. In addition, recovery data and matrix factor (MF) in normal and in hemolyzed plasmas were assessed, while incurred samples stability (ISS) for ceritinib was demonstrated for at least 21 months at a storage temperature of -65 °C or below. The method was successfully applied to the measurement of ceritinib in clinical samples and the data obtained on incurred samples reanalysis (ISR) showed that our method was reliable and suitable to support the analysis of samples from the clinical studies.

Aldehyde oxidase activity in fresh human skin.

Human aldehyde oxidase (AO) is a molybdoflavoenzyme that commonly oxidizes azaheterocycles in therapeutic drugs. Although high metabolic clearance by AO resulted in several drug failures, existing in vitro-in vivo correlations are often poor and the extrahepatic role of AO practically unknown. This study investigated enzymatic activity of AO in fresh human skin, the largest organ of the body, frequently exposed to therapeutic drugs and xenobiotics. Fresh, full-thickness human skin was obtained from 13 individual donors and assayed with two specific AO substrates: carbazeran and zoniporide. Human skin explants from all donors metabolized carbazeran to 4-hydroxycarbazeran and zoniporide to 2-oxo-zoniporide. Average rates of carbazeran and zoniporide hydroxylations were 1.301 and 0.164 pmol⋅mg skin(-1)⋅h(-1), resulting in 13 and 2% substrate turnover, respectively, after 24 hours of incubation with 10 µM substrate. Hydroxylation activities for the two substrates were significantly correlated (r(2) = 0.769), with interindividual variability ranging from 3-fold (zoniporide) to 6-fold (carbazeran). Inclusion of hydralazine, an irreversible inhibitor of AO, resulted in concentration-dependent decrease of hydroxylation activities, exceeding 90% inhibition of carbazeran 4-hydroxylation at 100 µM inhibitor. Reaction rates were linear up to 4 hours and well described by Michaelis-Menten enzyme kinetics. Comparison of carbazeran and zoniporide hydroxylation with rates of triclosan glucuronidation and sulfation and p-toluidine N-acetylation showed that cutaneous AO activity is comparable to tested phase II metabolic reactions, indicating a significant role of AO in cutaneous drug metabolism. To our best knowledge, this is the first report of AO enzymatic activity in human skin.

Laser diode thermal desorption atmospheric pressure chemical ionization tandem mass spectrometry applied for the ultra-fast quantitative analysis of BKM120 in human plasma.

A sensitive and ultra-fast method utilizing the laser diode thermal desorption ion source using atmospheric pressure chemical ionization coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (LDTD-APCI-MS/MS) was developed for the quantitative analysis of BKM120, an investigational anticancer drug in human plasma. Samples originating from protein precipitation (PP) followed by salting-out assisted liquid-liquid extraction (SALLE) were spotted onto the LazWell™ plate prior to their thermal desorption and detection by tandem mass spectrometry in positive mode. The validated method described in this paper presents a high absolute extraction recovery (>90 %) for BKM120 and its internal standard (ISTD) [D8]BKM120, with precision and accuracy meeting the acceptance criteria. Standard curves were linear over the range of 5.00 to 2000 ng mL(-1) with a coefficient of determination (R (2)) >0.995. The method specificity was demonstrated in six different batches of human plasma. Intra- and inter-run precision as well as accuracy within ±20 % at the lower limit of quantification (LLOQ) and ±15 % (other levels) were achieved during a three-run validation for quality control (QC) samples. The post-preparative stability on the LazWell™ plate at room temperature was 72 h and a 200-fold dilution of spiked samples was demonstrated. The method was applied successfully to three clinical studies (n = 847) and cross-checked with the validated LC-ESI-MS/MS reference method. The sample analysis run time was 10 s as compared to 4.5 min for the current validated LC-ESI-MS/MS method. The resultant data were in agreement with the results obtained using the validated reference LC-ESI-MS/MS assay and the same pharmacokinetic (PK) parameters were calculated for both analytical assays. This work demonstrates that LDTD-APCI-MS/MS is a reliable method for the ultra-fast quantitative analysis of BKM120 which can be used to speed-up and support its bioanalysis in the frame of the clinical trials.

Application of a deuterium replacement strategy to modulate the pharmacokinetics of 7-(3,5-dimethyl-1H-1,2,4-triazol-1-yl)-3-(4-methoxy-2-methylphenyl)-2,6-dimethylpyrazolo[5,1-b]oxazole, a novel CRF1 antagonist.

Deuterium isotope effects were evaluated as a strategy to optimize the pharmacokinetics of 7-(3,5-dimethyl-1H-1,2,4-triazol-1-yl)-3-(4-methoxy-2-methylphenyl)-2,6-dimethylpyrazolo[5,1-b]oxazole (NVS-CRF38), a novel corticotropin-releasing factor receptor 1 (CRF1) antagonist. In an attempt to suppress O-demethylation of NVS-CRF38 without losing activity against the CRF1 receptor, the protons at the site of metabolism were replaced with deuterium. For in vitro and in vivo studies, intrinsic primary isotope effects (KH/KD) were determined by the ratio of intrinsic clearance (CLint) obtained for NVS-CRF38 and deuterated NVS-CRF38. In vitro kinetic isotope effects (KH/KD) were more pronounced when CLint values were calculated based on the rate of formation of the O-desmethyl metabolite (KH/KD ∼7) compared with the substrate depletion method (KH/KD ∼2). In vivo isotope effects were measured in rats after intravenous (1 mg/kg) and oral (10 mg/kg) administration. For both administration routes, isotope effects calculated from in vivo CLint corresponding to all biotransformation pathways were lower (KH/KD ∼2) compared with CLint values calculated from the O-demethylation reaction alone (KH/KD ∼7). Comparative metabolite identification studies were undertaken using rat and human microsomes to explore the potential for metabolic switching. As expected, a marked reduction of the O-demethylated metabolite was observed for NVS-CRF38; however, levels of NVS-CRF38's other metabolites increased, compensating to some extent for the isotope effect.

A fast and reliable reversed phase high performance liquid chromatography method for simultaneous determination of selected anti-retroviral and lumefantrine in human plasma.

A fast and reliable high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method with UV diode array detection for simultaneous quantitative analysis of the anti-retroviral drugs, nevirapine (NVP) and efavirenz (EFV) and the anti-malarial, lumefantrine (LUM) in human plasma has been developed and validated. The sample preparation consisted of a plasma protein precipitation with 0.5% acetic acid acetonitrile solution containing the internal standard halofantrine (HALO) prior the LC-analysis. Chromatographic separation was carried out on a Acclaim Polar Advantage C(16), column (150 mm × 4.6 mm, particle size, 3 µm) using a gradient of mobile phase made of 0.01% TFA in 0.1M ammonium acetate (solvent A) and 0.1% TFA in acetonitrile (solvent B). The separation of NVP, EFV, LUM and HALO was achieved within 17 min at a flow rate of 1.0 mL/min and detections were initially performed at three wavelengths, 275 nm (NVP), 255 nm (EFV), and 300 nm (LUM). The method selectivity was demonstrated in six different human plasma batches. In addition, several concomitant drugs were analyzed under our experimental conditions and none of them co-eluted with EFV, NVP and LUM. This demonstrated that our method is highly selective. Calibration graphs plotted with seven concentrations in duplicate for each compound were linear between the selected ranges with a regression coefficient (R(2)) greater than 0.998. Absolute extraction recovery for NVP, EFV and LUM were 99%, 98.6 and 102%, respectively. Inter- and intra-day coefficients of variation for LUM, EFV and NVP were ≤10%. The lower limits of quantification were 0.125 µg/mL for LUM and 0.250 µg/mL for both EFV and NVP. Intra- and inter-assay relative standard deviation values were found to be less than 15% at the concentrations examined (0.125-10.0 µg/mL for LUM and 0.250-15.0 µg/mL for both EFV and NVP). The present method was successfully implemented in Tanzania and only one wavelength (255 nm) was used to measure samples of patients receiving either NVP or EFV in combination with LUM. The concentration found in human plasma samples for all three compounds were within the calibration range. This makes our method particularly applicable and useful to resource-limited settings.

Validation of an LC-MS/MS method for the quantitative determination of mavoglurant (AFQ056) in human plasma.

A simple, sensitive, and selective liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry method was validated for the identification and quantification of mavoglurant (AFQ056) in human plasma. The chromatographic separation was performed using a Cosmosil 5 C18 (150 × 4.6 mm, 5 µm) column at 40 ± 0.5 °C with a mobile phase consisting of acetic acid in water (0.1%, v/v)/methanol (10:90, v/v) with a flow rate of 1.0 mL/min followed by quantification with tandem mass spectrometry, operating with electrospray ionization in positive ion mode and applying multiple reaction monitoring. The validated method described in this paper presents high absolute recovery with precision and accuracy meeting the acceptance criteria. The method was precise and accurate for 2- and 10-fold dilution of samples. The method was validated using sodium heparin as specific anticoagulant, and the anticoagulant effect was tested by lithium heparin and K(3)EDTA. The method was successfully cross-validated between two bioanalytical sites. The method was specific for mavoglurant within the given criteria for acceptance (apparent peak area at the retention time of mavoglurant in zero samples was less than 20% compared with the mean peak area at LLOQ) in human plasma. The method was fully validated for the quantitative determination of mavoglurant in human plasma between the range of 2.00 and 2,500 ng/mL.

Validation of a liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry method for the simultaneous quantification of Sotrastaurin and its metabolite N-desmethyl-sotrastaurin in human blood.

A liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) method was validated for the quantification of Sotrastaurin (AEB071) and N-desmethyl-sotrastaurin in human blood. The validation of the analytical procedure was performed according to the latest Food and Drug Administration (FDA) "Guidance for Industry, Bioanalytical Method Validation". Chromatographic separation was performed using an RP C18 (50 mm × 4.6 mm, 5 µm) column at 40±3.0 °C with a mobile phase consisted of 2 mM ammonium acetate in water (pH 4.5):methanol:acetonitrile (25:15:60, v/v) of a flow rate of 1 mL/min followed by quantification with tandem mass spectrometer, operated in electrospray ionization (ESI) positive ion mode and applying multiple reaction monitoring (MRM). The validated method described in this paper presents high absolute recovery, with a sensitivity of 3.00 ng/mL as lower limit of quantitation using a sample volume of 300 µL, low inter-run bias and variability (for Sotrastaurin, -4.4 to 0.4% and 1.8 to 2.5% and for N-desmethyl-sotrastaurin, ranged from 1.6 to 2.3% and 2.7 to 3.9%, respectively) with a short runtime of 3.5 min. The method was validated using K3EDTA as specific anticoagulant and cross-validated using Li-Heparin and Na-Heparin. The method was specific for Sotrastaurin and N-desmethyl-sotrastaurin within the given criteria of acceptance (apparent peak area for Sotrastaurin and N-desmethyl-sotrastaurin in zero samples ≤ 20% of mean peak area at LLOQ) in human blood. The method was fully validated for the quantitative determination of Sotrastaurin and its metabolite N-desmethyl-sotrastaurin in human blood between the range of 3.00 ng/mL and 1200 ng/mL.

Validation of an on-line solid-phase extraction method coupled to liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry detection for the determination of Indacaterol in human serum.

Indacaterol has been recently approved in Europe for the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). In the present study, we have developed and validated a rapid and sensitive on-line solid phase extraction (SPE) method coupled to liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) detection for the determination of Indacaterol in human serum. The sample preparation involves the serum dilution with a 0.2% acetic acid solution prior to the on-line SPE on a mixed-mode cationic (MCX) polymer based sorbent. The samples were then eluted on a reversed phase column with a mobile phase made of acidified water and methanol and detection was performed by MS using electrospay ionization in positive mode. The analysis time between 2 samples was 7.0 min. Standard curves were linear over the range of 10.0 pg/mL (LLOQ) to 1000 pg/mL with correlation coefficient (r(2)) greater than 0.990. The method specificity was demonstrated in six different batches of human serum. Intra-run and inter-run precision and accuracy within ± 20% (at the LLOQ) and ± 15% (other levels) were achieved during a 3-run validation for quality control samples (QCs). The stability at room temperature (38 h) was determined and reported. In addition, the comparison between an off-line SPE procedure and our method gave equivalent results. The results of the present work demonstrated that our on-line SPE-LC-MS/MS method is rapid, sensitive, specific and could be applied to the quantitative analysis of Indacaterol in human serum samples. Our method effectively eliminated the tedious conditioning and rinsing steps associated with conventional off-line SPE and reduced the analysis time. The on-line SPE approach appears attractive for supporting the analysis of several hundreds of clinical samples.

Fast simultaneous quantitative analysis of FTY720 and its metabolite FTY720-P in human blood by on-line solid phase extraction coupled with liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.

Fingolimod (Gilenya; FTY720), has been recently approved for the treatment of multiple sclerosis in Europe and in the USA. In the present study, we have developed and validated a rapid and sensitive liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method to simultaneously quantify FTY720 and FTY720-P in human blood. The sample preparation involves the sample dilution with a solution made of dimethylhexylamine (DMHA), ortho-phosphoric acid and methanol prior to the on-line solid phase extraction (SPE) on a C(18) cartridge. The samples were then eluted on a C(18) column with a gradient elution of DMHA solution and acetonitrile and analyzed by LC-MS/MS using electrospay ionization in positive mode. The analysis time between 2 samples was 7.5 min. Standard curves were linear over the ranges of 0.0800 ng/mL (LLOQ) to 16.0 ng/mL for FTY720 and 0.100 ng/mL (LLOQ) to 20.0 ng/mL for FTY720-P with correlation coefficient (r(2)) greater than 0.997. The method selectivities for FTY720 and FTY720-P were demonstrated in six different batches of human blood. Intra-run and inter-run precision and accuracy within ± 20% (at the LLOQ) and ± 15% (other levels) were achieved during a 3-run validation for quality control samples (QCs). In addition, stability data obtained during freeze-thaw (3 cycles), at room temperature (24h), and in an auto-sampler were determined and reported. The method robustness was demonstrated by the consistent data obtained by reanalyzing human blood samples for several clinical studies. In addition comparative data for FTY720 and FTY720-P were obtained between our current method and those of two available separate LC-MS/MS assays. The results of the present work demonstrated that our bioanalytical LC-MS/MS method is rapid, sensitive, specific and reliable for the simultaneous quantitative analysis of FTY720 and FTY720-P in human blood.

Laser diode thermal desorption-positive mode atmospheric pressure chemical ionization tandem mass spectrometry for the ultra-fast quantification of a pharmaceutical compound in human plasma.

An ultra-fast, reliable and sensitive analytical method enabling high-throughput quantitative analysis of pharmaceutical compounds in human plasma is described. The quantitative work was performed on one of our compound currently under clinical trial by employing a deuterated internal standard (IS). Plasma samples were treated on solid phase micro-extraction (SPME) plates prior their analysis by laser diode thermal desorption and atmospheric pressure chemical ionization coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (LDTD/APCI-MS/MS) in positive mode. The sample analysis run time was 10s as compared to the 7 min obtained for the validated LC-MS/MS method. The limit of quantification (LOQ) of the method was estimated at 1 ng/mL. The calibration graphs were linear with a regression coefficient R(2) > 0.997. The data of the partial validation show that LDTD/APCI-MS/MS assay was highly reproducible and selective. In addition, the deviations for intra and inter assay accuracy and precision data were within 15% at all quality control levels. The LDTD/APCI-MS/MS method was successfully applied to the analysis of clinical samples and the data obtained were consistent with those found with a validated LC-MS/MS assay. This work demonstrates that LDTD/APCI-MS/MS could be used for the ultra-fast and reliable quantitative analysis of pharmaceutical compounds in human plasma without using the separation step commonly associated with the LC-MS/MS assay.

A sensitive LC-MS/MS method for quantification of a nucleoside analog in plasma: application to in vivo rat pharmacokinetic studies.

A LC-MS/MS method was developed and validated for determination of nucleoside analog (NA) in rat plasma. The method run time was 6 min and the limit of quantification (LOQ) was estimated at 100 pg/mL. The extraction procedure consisted on plasma samples protein precipitation with an acetonitrile solution which contained the stable isotope labeled internal standard (IS). Chromatography was performed on a newly developed C(16) column (150 mm x 4.6 mm, 5 microm) in order to avoid the use ion pair salts. The samples were eluted at 0.8 mL/min with a gradient of mobile phase made of water and acetonitrile both acidified with 0.5% acetic acid and 0.025% trifluoroacetic acid (TFA). A tandem mass spectrometer was used as a detector for quantitative analysis. Intra-run and inter-run precision and accuracy within +/-15% were achieved during a 3-run validation for quality control samples at four concentration levels in rat plasma, over a concentration ranging between 0.1 and 1000 ng/mL. The data indicate that our LC-MS/MS assay is an effective method for the pharmacokinetics study of NA in rat plasma.

Intestinal lymphatic transport enhances the post-prandial oral bioavailability of a novel cannabinoid receptor agonist via avoidance of first-pass metabolism.

PURPOSE: To examine the effect of food on the oral bioavailability of a highly lipophilic, cannabinoid receptor agonist (CRA13) and to explore the basis for the food effect in lymph-cannulated and non-cannulated dogs. METHODS: Oral bioavailability was assessed in fasted and fed human volunteers and in lymph-cannulated dogs. In fasted dogs, the extent of absorption and oral bioavailability was also examined following administration of radiolabelled CRA13. RESULTS: Food had a substantial positive effect on the oral bioavailability of CRA13 in human volunteers (4.3-4.9 fold increase in AUC(0 - infinity)) and in dogs. The absolute bioavailability of parent drug was low in fasted dogs (8-20%), in spite of good absorption (72-75% of radiolabelled CRA13 recovered in the systemic circulation). In post-prandial lymph-cannulated dogs, bioavailability increased to 47.5% and the majority (43.7%) of the dose was absorbed via the intestinal lymphatic system. CONCLUSIONS: The positive food effect for CRA13 does not appear to result from increased post-prandial absorption. Rather these data provide one of the first examples of a significant increase in bioavailability for a highly lipophilic drug, which is stimulated via almost complete post-prandial transport into the lymph, in turn resulting in a reduction in first-pass metabolism.