HPLC analysis of an amino bisphosphonate in pharmaceutical formulations using postcolumn derivatization and fluorescence detection.

Monosodium 4-amino-1-hydroxybutane-1, 1-diphosphonic acid (MK-217) is a bone resorption inhibitor implicated in the treatment of malignant hypercalcemia. This compound is very water soluble and has five ionizable groups with pKa values over the entire pH range. As a result, it is difficult to maintain a single species in solution for chromatographic separation. Since there is no chromophore in the molecular structure, UV detection is ineffective. The compound and its potential degradation products are separated by ion-pair chromatography using 0.01 M cetyltrimethylammonium bromide as the ion-pairing agent and a polymeric stationary phase. Detection is by fluorescence detection after postcolumn derivatization of the primary amine with ophthalaldehyde and mercaptoethanol (OPA-MERC). Optimization of the chromatographic separation and the postcolumn reaction has been carried out, and the method has been applied to the analysis of MK-217 in intravenous solutions and tablet formulations.