Development of an effective novel validated stability‐indicating HPLC method for the resolution of brivaracetam stereoisomeric impurities

Reverse‐phase high‐performance liquid chromatography method has been developed for the determination of brivaracetam stereoisomeric impurities such as (R,S)‐brivaracetam, (R,R)‐brivaracetam, and (S,S)‐brivaracetam with good resolution using the chiral column, Chiral PAK IG‐U (100 × 3.0 mm; 1.6 μm). The method is simple, stability‐indicating, and compatible with LC–MS. The separation was achieved with the mobile phase consisted of 10 mM ammonium bicarbonate along with acetonitrile in an isocratic mode. The column temperature and wavelength were monitored at 40°C and 215 nm, respectively. The method showed adequate specificity, sensitivity, linearity, accuracy, precision, and robustness inline to ICH tripartite guidelines. The limit of detection and quantification limits were 0.3 and 0.8 μg ml−1, respectively, for all stereoisomeric impurities and brivaracetam. The developed method was found to be linear over the concentration range of 0.8–5.6 μg ml−1 for stereoisomeric impurities with a correlation coefficient >0.999. The method was precise (%RSD < 5.0), robust, and accurate (with 85%–115% recovery). The values of retention times of stereoisomeric impurities, (R,S)‐brivaracetam, (R,R)‐brivaracetam, and (S,S)‐brivaracetam, were 4.9, 5.4, and 6.6 min, respectively, and resolution among the impurities were 2.0, 3.3, and 4.7, respectively. In addition, forced degradation studies were performed to prove that method was stability‐indicating. The enrichment of isomeric impurity, (R,R)‐brivaracetam, was observed under basic stress conditions of brivaracetam and proposed a plausible mechanism to enhance that isomeric impurity. As well, a good separation among brivaracetam and its stereoisomeric impurity peaks was observed in the presence of degradation products and process‐related impurities.