Chiral drugs: an industrial analytical perspective

In the pharmaceutical industry, chiral drug candidates introduce a unique set of challenges to all disciplines involved in the drug development process. For the analytical chemist in particular, the generation of relevant information about a variety of stereoisomeric issues is necessary. Chiral drug candidates, whether a single isomer or a mixture of isomers, require more analytical information than achiral drug candidates. This information can be derived from enantioselective spectroscopic and chromatographic techniques. Chiral analytical methods require proper development and validation to ensure accurate results. Issues related to method development and validation for complete stereochemical characterization are discussed, with primary emphasis on the generation of analytical data required for the registration of a chiral drug candidate. The presentation of pertinent analytical data depends on an awareness of the problems encountered during the development process and the appropriate use of methodology for the determination of stereoisomeric purity.