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Published on: September 1, 2017
Elemental impurities determination in bromhexine hydrochloride injections
Shujuan Xu1, Lei Zhang1, Qingshan Bai1
1Linyi Inspection and Testing Center, Linyi 276000, China.
A new ICP-MS method accurately measured 31 elemental impurities in bromhexine hydrochloride injections. While all impurities were below safety limits, significant variations between manufacturers highlight potential contamination risks.
Area of Science:
- Pharmaceutical Analysis
- Analytical Chemistry
- Toxicology
Background:
- Elemental impurities in pharmaceuticals lack therapeutic value and can cause toxicity.
- Parenteral drugs require stringent safety assessments for elemental contaminants.
- Bromhexine hydrochloride injections are widely used, necessitating impurity profiling.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate a high-throughput ICP-MS method for quantifying 31 elemental impurities.
- To assess the safety of elemental impurities in bromhexine hydrochloride injections from multiple manufacturers.
- To identify potential sources of elemental contamination and associated risks.
Main Methods:
- Development of a high-throughput inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) method.
- Validation of the method according to United States Pharmacopeia (USP) < 233 > guidelines.
- Quantitative determination of 31 elemental impurities in bromhexine hydrochloride injection samples.
Main Results:
- The ICP-MS method was successfully validated for accuracy, precision, linearity, stability, LOD, and LOQ.
- All quantified elemental impurities were below the permitted daily exposure (PDE) limits set by the International Council for Harmonisation (ICH).
- Significant inter-manufacturer variability was observed for specific elements, including Aluminum (Al), Arsenic (As), Boron (B), Barium (Ba), and Zinc (Zn).
Conclusions:
- The validated ICP-MS method provides a reliable tool for elemental impurity analysis in pharmaceutical products.
- While current bromhexine hydrochloride injections meet ICH safety standards, manufacturer-specific variations warrant attention.
- Further investigation into the sources of elemental contamination is recommended to mitigate potential risks.
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