Generic placeholder image

Current Pharmaceutical Analysis

Editor-in-Chief

ISSN (Print): 1573-4129
ISSN (Online): 1875-676X

Mini-Review Article

Metallic Impurities in Pharmaceuticals: An Overview

Author(s): Poonam Kushwaha *

Volume 17, Issue 8, 2021

Published on: 11 July, 2020

Page: [960 - 968] Pages: 9

DOI: 10.2174/1573412916999200711151147

Price: $65

Abstract

Background: Metallic impurities are the traces of metals that can be found in finished drug products.

Description: These metallic impurities in pharmaceutical preparations can enter from formulation ingredients, catalysts, and process equipment, containers and closures. They are not completely removed from the product by practical manufacturing techniques and should be evaluated relative to safetybased limits. They can affect drug efficacy or produce direct toxic effect on the patient.

Methods: In this paper, an attempt has been made to review these metallic impurities including potential sources and analytical procedures to quantify these impurities. ICH guideline on these impurities and measures to control impurities has also been discussed in the paper.

Results: The implementation of ICH Q3D guideline with the quality risk assessment approach is an important milestone to harmonize control of elements worldwide.

Conclusion: This approach allows manufacturers to provide vital information about the contribution of impurities in the drug product.

Keywords: Metallic impurities, heavy metals, pharmaceuticals, sources of impurities, ICH guidelines, elemental impurities.

Graphical Abstract

[1]
Rahman, N.; Azmi, S.N.H.; Wu, H. The importance of impurity analysis in pharmaceutical products: an integrated approach. Accredit. Qual. Assur., 2006, 11, 69-74.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00769-006-0095-y]
[2]
Ansari, J. Impurity Profile: A Review. Pharmainfo.net,, 2005. http://www.pharmainfo.net/reviews/impurity-profile-review
[3]
Pan, C.; Liu, F.; Motto, M. Identification of pharmaceutical impurities in formulated dosage forms. J. Pharm. Sci., 2011, 100(4), 1228-1259.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/jps.22376] [PMID: 24081463]
[4]
Balaram, V. Recent advances in the determination of elemental impurities in pharmaceuticals – Status, challenges and moving frontiers. TrAC Trends in Anal Chem, 2016, 80, 83-95.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.trac.2016.02.001]
[5]
Pinheiro, F.C.; Barros, A.I.; Nóbrega, J.A. Elemental impurities analysis in name-brand and generic omeprazole drug samples. Heliyon, 2020, 6(2), e03359.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e03359] [PMID: 32083212]
[6]
Gosar, A.; Joglekar, A.; Patil, K. A case study for risk assessment study of elemental impurities in pharmaceutical drugs by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (ICP-MS). World J. Pharm. Res., 2019, 8, 897-908.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.20959/wjpr20196-14811]
[7]
Mittal, M.; Kumar, K.; Anghore, D.; Rawal, R.K. ICP-MS: Analytical Method for Identification and Detection of Elemental Impurities. Curr. Drug Discov. Technol., 2017, 14(2), 106-120.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.2174/1570163813666161221141402] [PMID: 28003007]
[8]
Maithani, M.; Raturi, R.; Sharma, P.; Gupta, V.; Bansal, P. Elemental impurities in pharmaceutical products adding fuel to the fire. Regul. Toxicol. Pharmacol., 2019, 108, 104435.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.yrtph.2019.104435] [PMID: 31376414]
[10]
ICH guideline Q3D on elemental impurities EMA/CHMP/ICH/353369/2013. Committee for Human Medicinal Products., 2016. https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/documents/scientific-guideline/international-conference-harmonisation-technical-requirements-registration-pharmaceuticals human-use_en13.pdf
[11]
Noorwood, D.L. Identification of pharmaceutical impurities. J. Liq. Chromatogr. Relat. Technol., 2007, 877-935.
[12]
Roy, J. Pharmaceutical impurities: mini review. AAPS PharmSciTech, 2002, 2003(2), E6.
[13]
Teasdale, A.; Chéry, C.C.; Cook, G.; Glennon, J.; Lee, C.W.; Harris, L.; Lewen, N.; Powell, S.; Rockstroh, H.; Rutter, L.; Smallshaw, L.; Thompson, S.; Woodward, V. Ulman, K Implementation of ICH Q3D Elemental Impurities Guideline: Challenges and Opportunities. Pharm. Technol., 2005, 39, 3.
[14]
Abernethy, D.R.; Destefano, A.J.; Cecil, T.L.; Zaidi, K.; Williams, R.L. USP Metal Impurities Advisory Panel. Metal impurities in food and drugs. Pharm. Res., 2010, 27(5), 750-755.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11095-010-0080-3] [PMID: 20217462]
[15]
Nageswara Rao, R.; Talluri, M.V. An overview of recent applications of inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) in determination of inorganic impurities in drugs and pharmaceuticals. J. Pharm. Biomed. Anal., 2007, 43(1), 1-13.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jpba.2006.07.004] [PMID: 16891084]
[16]
Derkach, T.M.; Baula, O.P. Pharmacopoeia methods for elemental analysis of medicines: a comparative study. J. Chem. Technol, 2018, 25(2), 73-83.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.15421/081711]
[17]
Janchevska, K.; Stafilov, T.; Memed-Sejfulah, S.; Bogdanoska, M.; Ugarkovic, S.; Petrushevski, G. ICH Q3D based elemental impurities study in liquid pharmaceutical dosage form with high daily intake - comparative analysis by ICP-OES and ICP-MS. Drug Dev. Ind. Pharm., 2020, 46(3), 456-461.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/03639045.2020.1724136] [PMID: 31999195]
[18]
Arzhantsev, S.; Li, X.; Kauffman, J.F. Rapid limit tests for metal impurities in pharmaceutical materials by X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy using wavelet transform filtering. Anal. Chem., 2011, 83(3), 1061-1068.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/ac1028598] [PMID: 21222440]
[19]
Wollein, U.; Bauer, B.; Habernegg, R.; Schramek, N. Potential metal impurities in active pharmaceutical substances and finished medicinal products - A market surveillance study. Eur. J. Pharm. Sci., 2015, 77, 100-105.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ejps.2015.05.028] [PMID: 26036232]
[20]
Abernethy, D.R.; DeStefano, A.J.; Cecil, C.L.; Zaidi, K.; Williams, R.L. Metals testing in pharmaceuticals. Pharm. Res., 2010, 27(5), 750-755. https://cdnmedia.eurofins.com/europeaneast/media/1229943/metals-testing-in-pharmaceuticals.pdf
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11095-010-0080-3] [PMID: 20217462]
[21]
Ambrosi, A.; Pumera, M. Regulatory peptides are susceptible to oxidation by metallic impurities within carbon nanotubes. Chemistry, 2010, 16(6), 1786-1792.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/chem.200902534] [PMID: 20066697]
[22]
Saito, N.; Haniu, H.; Usui, Y.; Aoki, K.; Hara, K.; Takanashi, S.; Shimizu, M.; Narita, N.; Okamoto, M.; Kobayashi, S.; Nomura, H.; Kato, H.; Nishimura, N.; Taruta, S.; Endo, M. Safe clinical use of carbon nanotubes as innovative biomaterials. Chem. Rev., 2014, 114(11), 6040-6079.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/cr400341h] [PMID: 24720563]
[24]
Barin, J.S.; Mello, P.A.; Mesko, M.F.; Duarte, F.A.; Flores, E.M. Determination of elemental impurities in pharmaceutical products and related matrices by ICP-based methods: a review. Anal. Bioanal. Chem., 2016, 408(17), 4547-4566.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00216-016-9471-6] [PMID: 27020927]
[25]
Lewen, N.; Mathew, S.; Schenkenberger, M.; Raglione, T. A rapid ICP-MS screen for heavy metals in pharmaceutical compounds. J. Pharm. Biomed. Anal., 2004, 35(4), 739-752.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jpba.2004.02.023] [PMID: 15193718]
[26]
Pluháček, T.; Ručka, M.; Maier, V. A direct LA-ICP-MS screening of elemental impurities in pharmaceutical products in compliance with USP and ICH-Q3D. Anal. Chim. Acta, 2019, 1078, 1-7.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.aca.2019.06.004] [PMID: 31358206]
[27]
Lewen, N. The use of atomic spectroscopy in the pharmaceutical industry for the determination of trace elements in pharmaceuticals. J. Pharm. Biomed. Anal., 2011, 55(4), 653-661.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jpba.2010.11.030] [PMID: 21159460]
[28]
Muller, A.L.; Oliveira, J.S.; Mello, P.A.; Muller, E.I.; Flores, E.M. Study and determination of elemental impurities by ICP-MS in active pharmaceutical ingredients using single reaction chamber digestion in compliance with USP requirements. Talanta, 2015, 136, 161-169.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.talanta.2014.12.023] [PMID: 25702998]
[29]
Reddy, D.N.; Al-Rajab, A.J.; Reddy, G.R. Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Applications of Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry; ICP-MS, 2018. https://www.intechopen.com/books/drug-discovery-concepts-to-market/biomedical-and-pharmaceutical-applications-of-inductively-coupled-plasma-mass-spectrometry-icp-ms-
[30]
Rao, R.N.; Venkateshwarlu, P.; Rao, T.N. Atomic absorption spectrometric determination of heavy metals in Indian system of medicine used against cold and fever. Analytical Chem Ind J, 2010, 9(3), 371-377.https://www.tsijournals.com/articles/atomic-absorption-spectrometric-determination-of-heavy-metals-in-indian-system-of-medicine-used-against-cold-and-fever.pdf
[31]
Elemental impurities guideline, New ICH guideline Q3D on elemental impurities (EMA/CHMP/ICH/353369/2013), 2017.
[32]
Jignesh, P. Challenges to conclude elemental impurities risk assessment for pharmaceutical dosage form and submission in regulatory dossier. J. Generic Med., 2017, 13, 174113431769924.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1741134317699244]
[33]
[34]
Parag, S.V.; Kumar, R.; Maity, A. Risk based approach to evaluate the safety, risk and control of Elemental Impurities in Pharmaceutical Drug Products. J Pharm Adv Res, 2018, 1(1)19-26.www.jparonline.com/review/JPAR-1802-RVA-0007-Parag%20sir-final.pdf
[35]
Chawla, R.K.; Panda, S.; Umasankar, K.; Panda, S.P.; Damayanthi, D. Risk assessment, screening and control of elemental impurities in pharmaceutical drug products: A review. Curr. Pharm. Anal., 2020, 16(7), 801-805.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.2174/1573412915666190314144134]
[36]
Songire, P.R.; Aher, S.; Phadtare, D.; Saudagar, R.B. Review on guideline on elemental impurities. Asian J. Res. Chem, 2016, 9(5), 226-232.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.5958/0974-4150.2016.00039.0]
[37]
Sharma, A.; Jain, S.K. Elemental impurities in drug product. Int. J. Pharm. Sci. Res., 2017, 2(2), 31-38.
[38]
Vora, P.K.; Ameta, S.C.; Shirsat, M.K. A risk-based approach to control elemental impurities, inventi rapid Pharm; Anal. Quality. Assu, 2017, p. 1.
[39]
Li, G.; Schoneker, D.; Ulman, K.L.; Sturm, J.J.; Thackery, L.M.; Kauffman, J.F. Elemental Impurities in Pharmaceutical excipients. J. Pharm. Sci., 2015, 104(12), 4197-4206.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/jps.24650] [PMID: 26398581]
[40]
Pohla, P.; Bielawska-Pohlb, A.; Dzimitrowicza, A.; Jamroza, P.; Welnaa, M. Impact and practicability of recently introduced requirements on elemental impurities. Trends Analyt. Chem., 2017, 43-55.
[41]
Liu, K.T.; Chen, C.H. Determination of Impurities in Pharmaceuticals: Why and How?; Quality Management and Quality Control - New Trends and Developments, Paulo Pereira and Sandra Xavier, 2019. https://www.intechopen.com/books/quality-management-and-quality-control-new-trends-and-developments/determination-of-impurities-in-pharmaceuticals-why-and-how-][http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.83849

Rights & Permissions Print Cite
© 2024 Bentham Science Publishers | Privacy Policy