Highlights:

• Alternative to gas chromatographic methods for fatty acid identification developed.
• DoE optimized methods for peak separation of fatty acids and 18:1 isomers.
• The DoE software Drylab was used to calculate optimized and robust methods for peak separation with a full factorial design.
• Separation of cis/trans and structural fatty acid isomers using derivatization.
• Indirect polysorbate 80 quantification (0.05–5.83 μg/mL) achieved using oleic acid.

Highlights:

• Alternative buffer systems are suggested for CEX separation of mAbs.
• Benefits of salt mediated pH gradient are discussed.
• The combination of a “true” pH- and salt gradients extends the possibilities of method development.
• Retention modeling and method optimization were performed by DryLab®4
• Complete method development is feasible within 6 h.

Highlights:

• ADC consists of a recombinant mAb covalently linked to a cytotoxic molecule.
• Hydrophobic interaction chromatography represents the gold standard for ADC analysis.
• New site-specific ADC formats are more homogeneous than their previous generations.
• RPLC is proposed as alternative method to HIC for site-specific ADC characterization.
• Retention and resolution modeling was performed with DryLab®4 software.

This study reports the use of retention modeling software for the successful method development of 24 injectable antineoplastic agents. Firstly, a generic screening of several stationary and mobile phases (using various organic modifiers and pH) was achieved. Then, an optimization procedure of mobile phase temperature, gradient profile and mobile phase binary composition was conducted through only 28 real experiments using retention modeling software for data treatment. Finally, the optimized separation was achieved with a mobile phase consisting in 10 mM acetic acid at pH 5.1 (A) and acetonitrile (B). A Waters CORTECS^® T3 column (100 × 2.1 mm, 1.6 μm) operated at 25 °C with a gradient time of 17.5 min (0-51%B) at a flow rate of 0.4 mL/min was used. The prediction offered by the retention model was found to be highly reliable, with an average error lower than 1%. A robustness testing step was also assessed from a virtual experimental design. Success rate and regression coefficient were evaluated without the need to perform any real experiment. The developed LC-MS method was successfully applied to the analysis of pharmaceutical formulations and wiping samples from working environment.

Drug impurity and degradation profiling mean the detection, structure elucidation and quantitative determination of impurities and degradation products in bulk drug materials and pharmaceutical formulations. This is today one of the most important fields of activities in pharmaceutical analysis. The reason for this is that unidentified, potentially toxicimpurities are health hazards, and in order to increase the safety of drug therapy, impurities should be identified and determined by selective methods.

The aim of this review is to characterise the state-of-art in the field of impurity and degradation profiling of drugs based on papers published in the last decade. The separation and determination of impurities and degradants with a known structure are discussed, but emphasis is placed on the structure elucidation and determination of new (unknown) impurities and degradation products by off-line and on-line chromatographic-spectroscopic methods. The analytical aspects of enantiomeric purity of chiral drugs are also discussed.

A generic liquid chromatographic method development workflow was developed and successfully applied to the analysis of phytocannabinoids and Cannabis sativaextracts. Our method development procedure consists in four steps:

i)The screening of primary parameters (i.e. stationary phase nature, organic modifier nature and approximate mobile phase pH) was carried out with a generic gradient on a short narrow bore column, using a system able to accommodate numerous solvents/buffers and columns. Instead of complete peak tracking, the number of peaks which can be separated was considered as a response at this level, to save time.

ii)The optimization of secondary parameters (i.e. gradient conditions, mobile phase temperature and pH within a narrow range) requires only 12 initial experiments and the use of HPLC modeling software for data treatment. It allows to find out the best retention and selectivity for the selected compounds. Peak tracking was performed with a single quadruple mass detector in single ion recording mode, and UV detection (in a broad wavelength range).

iii)The refinement step allows to further adjust column efficiency, by tuning column length and mobile phase flow rate. This can also be done virtually using HPLC modeling software.

iv)The robustness testing step was also evaluated from a virtual experimental design. Success rate and regression coefficients were estimated in about 1 min, without the need to perform any real experiment.

At the end, this method development workflow was performed in less than 4 days and minimizes the costs of the method development in liquid chromatography.