Reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic assay for the determination of potency and impurities in tazadolene succinate bulk drug and capsules

A reversed-phase assay based on high-performance liquid chromatography with a water-acetonitrile-tetrahydrofuran (THF)-triethylamine (TEA)-perchloric acid (pH 2.5) mobile phase and a Zorbax C8 column has been validated for the determination of the purity of tazadolene succinate (I) [E-(+/-)-1-(2-benzylidenecyclohexyl)azetidine succinate, U-53996H] bulk drug, the potency of tazadolene succinate hard-filled capsule formulations and impurity levels in bulk drug. The system resolves E- and Z-isomers and other structurally related molecules. Retention of these compounds is mainly dependent on the amount of acetonitrile and THF in the mobile phase. An amine must be present in the mobile phase to bring about elution of I. The potency assay utilizes testosterone as internal standard. Potency assays exhibited relative standard deviations (R.S.D.) of less than 1%. Quantitative recovery from hard-filled capsules (HFC) is obtained by using a simple extraction procedure. Potential process impurities, potential degradation products, and formulation excipients are resolved. The assay is linear for tazadolene succinate concentrations equivalent to 50-150% of the assay concentration. Impurities can be quantitated to levels equivalent to about 0.1% by weight with R.S.D. less than 5%. The estimated limit of detection for I is about 2 ng for a 20 microliters injection.