A sensitive liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry bioanalytical assay for a novel anticancer candidate--ZMC1

ZMC1 {azetidinecarbothioic acid, [1-(2-pyridinyl) ethylidene] hydrazide} is a lead compound being developed as one of the first mutant p53 targeted anti-cancer drugs. Establishing a precise quantitative method is an integral component of this development. The aim of this study was to develop a sensitive LC/MS/MS assay suitable for assessing purity, stability and preclinical pharmacokinetic studies of ZMC1. Acetonitrile protein precipitation extraction was chosen for plasma sample preparation with satisfactory recovery (84.2-92.8%) for ZMC1. Chromatographic separation was achieved on an Xterra C18 column (50 × 4.6 mm, 3.5 µm) using a gradient elution with mobile phase of 0.1% formic acid in water and acetonitrile. ZMC1 and internal standard 2-amino-6-bromobenzothiazole were identified using selected-ion monitoring mode at m/z 235.2/178.2 and m/z 231.0/150.0 at retention times of 5.2 and 6.3 min, respectively. The method was validated with a linearity range of 3.9-500.0 ng/mL in human plasma and showed acceptable reproducibility with intra- and interday precisions <5.9 and 10.5%, and accuracy within ±5.4% of nominal values. This analytical method together with basic stability data in plasma and plasma binding experiments provides a reliable protocol for the study of ZMC1 pharmacokinetics. This will greatly facilitate the pre-clinical development of this novel anti-cancer drug.