Quantification of Oxcarbazepine Using Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS/MS)

Area of Science:

• Clinical Pharmacology
• Analytical Chemistry
• Neuroscience

Background:

• Oxcarbazepine is an effective antiepileptic drug for various seizure types.
• It is a keto analogue of carbamazepine, rapidly metabolized to its active form, 10-monohydroxy carbamazepine (MHD).
• Accurate measurement of MHD is crucial for therapeutic drug monitoring.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a quantitative assay for measuring oxcarbazepine metabolite (MHD) concentrations.
• To establish a reliable method for therapeutic drug monitoring of oxcarbazepine.

Main Methods:

• Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) was employed for analysis.
• A Phenomenex Kinetex C18 column was used for analyte separation.
• Multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode on a mass spectrophotometer enabled detection and quantification.

Main Results:

• The assay allows for the qualitative identification and quantitative measurement of MHD.
• Protein precipitation was performed by adding an internal standard (MHD 13C6) solution.
• Calibration curves generated from calibrators ensure accurate quantitation.

Conclusions:

• A robust LC-MS/MS assay for MHD has been established.
• This method facilitates precise therapeutic drug monitoring of oxcarbazepine.
• The assay supports optimized patient treatment with oxcarbazepine.