Analytical Method Development and Validation for the Analysis of Nepafenac and its related substances using Ultra Performance Liquid Chromatography
A novel, economic and time-efficient reverse-phase ultra-performance liquid chromatographic (RP-UPLC) method has been developed for the analysis of Nepafenac in the presence of both impurities and degradation products generated by forced degradation. When Nepafenac was subjected to acid hydrolysis, oxidative, base hydrolysis, photolytic, and thermal stress, observed degradation only in oxidative and base hydrolysis. The drug was found to be stable to other stress conditions. Various method development trails were performed for the separation of drug from impurities. However, best chromatographic separation was achieved on a Waters Acquity CSHC18, 100mm x 2.1mm, 1.7µ particle size column, UV detection at 245nm, a gradient elution of Ammonium formate (pH 4.0), mixture of organic solvents (Acetonitrile, Methanol) as mobile phase for drug, its impurities and it was captured. The method was validated for specificity, precision, linearity, accuracy, robustness and can be used in quality control during manufacture and for assessment of the stability samples of Nepafenac. Total elution time was about 6.5 min and equilibration time of about 1.5 min which allowed analysis of more than 100 samples per day. The analytical method discussed in United states Pharmacopoeia was pH sensitive and compatible to LC-MS analysis.