Development of a Robust Method for Simultaneous Quantification of Polymer (HPMC) and Surfactant (Dodecyl β-D-Maltoside) in Nanosuspensions

This report describes the development of a chromatographic method for the simultaneous quantification of a polymer, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC), and a surfactant, dodecyl β-D-maltoside (DM), that are commonly used in the physical stabilization of pharmaceutical formulations such as nanosuspensions and solid dispersions. These excipients are often challenging to quantify due to the lack of chromophores. A reverse phase size exclusion chromatography (SEC) with evaporative light scattering detector (ELSD) technique was utilized to develop an accurate and robust assay for the simultaneous quantification of HPMC and DM in a nanosuspension formulation. The statistical design of experiments was used to determine the influence of critical ELSD variables including temperature, pressure, and gain on accuracy, precision, and sensitivity of the assay. A robust design space was identified where it was determined that an increase in the temperature of the drift tube and gain of the instrument increased the accuracy and precision of the assay and a decrease in the nebulizer pressure value increased the sensitivity of the assay. In the optimized design space, response data showed that the assay could quantify HPMC and DM simultaneously with good accuracy, precision, and reproducibility. Overall, SEC-ELSD proved to be a powerful technique for the simultaneous quantification of HPMC and DM. This technique can be used to quantify the amount of HPMC and DM in nanosuspensions, which is critical to understanding their effects on the physical stability of nanosuspensions.