Identification of impurities in nafamostat mesylate using HPLC-IT-TOF/MS: A series of double-charged ions

Abstract

Nafamostat mesylate is a serine protease inhibitor used in the treatment of acute pancreatitis. The impurities in nafamostat mesylate, the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API), were profiled via high performance liquid chromatography tandem ion trap coupled with time-of-flight mass spectrometer (HPLC-IT-TOF/MS). The chromatography was performed on an ACE-3 C 18 column (200 mm × 4.6 mm, 3 μm) using methanol and 0.1% formic acid in purified water as mobile phase at a flow rate of 1.0 mL/min. The ions were detected by IT-TOF/MS with a full-scan mass analysis from m/z 100 to 800. In total, eleven impurities were detected in nafamostat mesylate API. The impurity profile was estimated based on the HPLC-IT-TOF/MS data, including accurate masses, MS n fingerprints of fragmentation pathways and a series of double-charged ions. Finally, seven impurities were identified and reported for the first time. The results will provide technical support for the quality control and clinical safety of nafamostat mesylate.

Pharmacokinetics of Nafamostat, a Potent Serine Protease Inhibitor, by a Novel LC-MS/MS Analysis

“…The utility of spectrofluorometry [ 4 ] and LC-UV [ 20 ] methods are also limited due to the time-consuming preparation and low sensitivity when applied to in vivo pharmacokinetic studies. Mass spectrometry-based analyses are also available, but they have been developed for the analysis of nafamostat along with other highly polar compounds in the environmental water [ 24 ] or for identification of impurities [ 25 ], not for in vivo studies. There are only a few LC-MS methods available for in vivo pharmacokinetic studies [ 18 ].…”

Safety Evaluation and Population Pharmacokinetics of Camostat Mesylate and Its Major Metabolites Using a Phase I Study

“…Notably, the plasma concentration of GBA is higher than that of GBPA. Additionally, a portion of GBA remains unmetabolized and generates impurities [ 24 ]. To address potential safety concerns following the administration of camostat mesylate, we simultaneously analyzed both GBPA and GBA.…”