Gas-chromatographic analysis for 1,2:5,6-dianhydrogalactitol, an anti-neoplastic agent, in plasma

We describe a gas chromatographic method for measuring submicrogram quantities of dianhydrogalactitol, a promising antineoplastic agent (currently undergoing clinical trials in humans), in plasma. The drug is first extracted from blood plasma by saturating the aqueous phase with solid potassium carbonate and extracting with isopropanol/chloroform (9/1 by vol). It is then converted to the corresponding n-butaneboronic ester by reaction at room temperature with butaneboronic acid and chromatographed on an SE-30 (3%) column, with flame ionization detection. Practicality of the method for monitoring drug distribution was demonstrated by administering dianhydrogalactitol in therapeutic doses to a dog and monitoring its concentrations in blood for the next 2 h.