2. CONTENT
Introduction
Stability studies
Arrhenius equation
Steps involved in prediction of shelf life
Addition of Overages
Conclusion
References
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3. INTRODUCTION OF STABILITY :
DEFINITION :
1.Ability of the pharmaceutical dosage form to maintain the physical,
chemical, therapeutic and microbial properties during the time of storage
and usage by the patient.
2. It is measured by the rate of changes that take place in the
pharmaceutical dosage forms
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4. STABILITY TEST USES :
Stability testing is used to:
Provide evidence as to how the quality of the drug product varies with
time.
Establish shelf life for the drug product.
Determine recommended storage conditions.
Determine container closure system suitability.
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5. Why Stability studies are necessary ?
STUDIES EXPLANATION
Quality The drug product varies with time .
Shelf life Shelf life of the product is established .
Storage Helps to determine the storage condition .
Closure system Container closure suitability has been identified .
Safety and efficiency Patients safety against drug product is analyzed .
Chemical degradation Degradation leads to lowering the concentration that to be
analyzed.
Toxic product To be formed due to degradation , leaching, high stress etc…5
6. TYPE CONDITIONTO BE
MAINTAINED
Chemical Chemical Integrity and potency etc..
Physical Appearance ,Uniformity etc
Microbiological Sterility
Therapeutic Drug action remains unchanged
Toxicological No increase in toxicity
ACCORDING TO USP TYPES OF STABILITY :
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7. GUIDELINE TITLE
Q1A(R2) Stability Testing of New Drug Substances
and Products
Q1B Photo stability Testing of New Drug
Substances and Products
Q1C Stability Testing for New Dosage Forms
Q1D Bracketing and Matrixing Designs for
Stability Testing of New Drug Substances
and Products
Q1E Evaluation of Stability Data
Q1F Stability Data Package for Registration
Applications in Climatic Zones III and IV
ICH GUIDELINES FOR STABILITY TESTING :
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8. According to ICH guidelines,
The ambient study for drug product must be continued for a
sufficient period of time beyond 12 months to cover the shelf life of the
product.
Intermediate storage condition data are required when a significant
change occurs prior to completion of study under the accelerated storage
condition.
The accelerated storage condition must be >15º C above the ambient
storage conditions.
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9. ACCELERATED STABILITY STUDIES :
• Stability study to predict the shelf life of the product, by accelerating
the rate of decomposition, preferably by increasing the temperature of
reaction conditions.
• With the advancement in branch of kinetics, shelf life of a dosage form
can be predicted within months based on accelerated stability reports .
• Preparations are subjected to high stresses during stability testing.
• Common high stresses include :
Temperature
Humidity
Light
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10. TESTS AT ELEVATED TEMPERATURE
1. Drug liquid preparation stored at 50, 60, 70,85,100 and 121˚c.
2. study is performed at Relative Temperature and or refrigerator
temperature .
3. Sampling: First year- 3 month interval
Second year- 6 month interval
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11. CLIMATE ZONE DEGREE
Temperate zone 21˚c/45%RH
Mediterranean
zone
25˚c/60%RH
Tropical zone 30˚c/70%RH
Desert zone 30˚c/35%RH
FOUR CLIMATIC ZONES
TO BE CONTINUED….
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12. TESTS AT HIGH INTENSITY OF LIGHT:
1. Drug substances fade or darken on exposing to light, can be controlled
by using amber glass or opaque container.
2. By exposing drug substance to 400 & 900 (FC)of illumination for 4 & 2
weeks to light and another sample examined protected from light .
3. Results found on appearance and chemical loss may be recorded.
4. Comparing color or using diffused reflectance spectroscopy the color
change of drug to be examined.
5. e.g. cycloprofen becomes very yellow after five days under 900 foot
candles of light.
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13. TESTS AT HIGH PARTIAL PRESSURE OF OXYGEN
1. Sensitivity of the drugs to atmospheric oxygen must be evaluated from which it
should be packed in inert atmospheric condition with antioxidants is decided .
2. Here, high oxygen tension plays important role to investigate stability. Usually
40% of oxygen atmosphere allows for rapid evaluation.
3. Results were correlated with inert & without inert condition
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14. TESTS AT HIGH RELATIVE HUMIDITY:
• Presence of moisture may cause hydrolysis and oxidation.
• These reactions may accelerated by exposing the drug to different relative
humidifies.
• Control humidity by Lab desiccators .
• Closed desiccator are placed in an oven to provide constant temperature.
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15. 15
SHELF LIFE
The time required to reduced the
concentration to 90% of its initial
concentration.
T90=0.105/k
Stability of formulation
can be determine by
shelf life .
16. ORDER X axis Y axis HALF LIFE SHELFLIFE
ZERO Time (a-x) a/2k 0.1Ao/ko
FIRST Time Log(a-x) 0.693/k 0.105/K1
SECOND
(a=b)
Time 1/(a-x) 1/ka -
SECOND
(a ≠ b)
Time Log b(a-
x)/a(b-x)
1/ka -
THIRD Time 1/(a-x)2 3/2ka2 -
CALCULATION OF SHELF LIFE
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18. The Preparation is stored at different elevated temperatures
To accelerate the degradation
Samples are withdrawn at different time intervals
The Order of the reaction is determined
plotting the concentration against time
The straight line in the graph estimates the k value
Similarly graphs are drawn for different elevated temperatures 18
19. K value for each temperature are calculated
By using Arrhenius relationship
Log k values are plotted against reciprocal of absolute temperature
Energy of activation can be calculated.
Extrapolate the straight line to room temperature
(k25) or refrigerated temperature
Read the log k value on y-axis
Substitute the k value in a equation to get the shelf life of the product.
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22. ARRHENIUS EQUATION
Arrhenius equation gives "the dependence of the rate constant k of chemical reaction
on the temperature T and activation energy Ea", as shown below ,
k = Ae^(-Ea/RT)
where,
k = specific rate constant
A = Arrhenius factor
Ea = activation energy
R = ideal gas constant
T = absolute temperature
Take log on both sides,
log k = log A – Ea /2.303RT
k = Ae^(-Ea/RT)
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23. Estimation of k
1. Reaction is conducted at several temperature .
2. Concentration is determined at different time period.
3 . Order of reaction is identified.
4. From slope of line k is calculated.
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25. ACTIVATION ENERGY :
It is defined as the energy that must be overcome in order for a chemical reaction to
occur.
Activation energy may also be defined as the minimum energy required to start a
chemical reaction.
The activation energy of a reaction is usually denoted by Ea & units of kilojoules per
mole.
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26. ESTIMATION OF ACTIVATION ENERGY:
1. A graph can be drawn by taking log k on y-axis and reciprocal temperature
(1/T) on x-axis.
2. A straight line is obtained, the slope of the line is negative and the magnitude
is Ea /2.303 R.
3. The intercept corresponds to log A.
4. All the constants in the Arrhenius equation can be obtained from the graph.
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27. ACCELERATED TESTS FOR MOISTURE ABSORPTION
In this method, products are placed in an environment of high relative
humidity and controlled temperature.
i.e. the product is a placed in a small cabinets containing different
saturated salt solution.
Their physical and chemical stabilities are assessed.
The results will indicate whether the product is susceptible to moisture
or not and also whether the container needs to provide a high degree
of protection.
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28. ACCELERATEDTESTS FOR SUSPENSION
Cake formation is accelerated by centrifugation.
High speed centrifugation is hence not preferred, low speed
centrifugation is used to study the physical stability.
A Freeze-Thaw cycling technique is one of the stress testing .
Freeze –thaw method :
This cycling treatment promotes particle size, particle size
distribution and crystal habit. 28
29. ACCELERATED STABILITY TESTING IN EMULSIONS
An emulsion is stored at elevated temperature
This decreases viscosity of the continuous phase
If the emulsion withstands this stress it is assumed to be stable at normal conditions of
storage.
Centrifugation Method:
Creaming and flocculation are slow processes.
Centrifugation accelerates rate of creaming and flocculation in emulsions.
The emulsion is subjected to different centrifugal speeds and separation of phases is
observed at different time periods
Bad emulsion separates oil instantly
Good emulsion does not exhibit detectable separation of oil phase until certain time period.
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30. ADDITION OF OVERAGES:
Excess amount of the drug can be added to the preparation to maintain 100% of
shelf life of the product.
Overages are calculated from the accelerated stability studies and added to the
preparation at the time of manufacture.
They should be within the limits compatible with the therapeutic requirement.
Addition of overages doubles the shelf life of the product.
Mostly overages are added in multi vitamin preparations.
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31. LIMITATIONS OF ACCELERATED STABILITY TESTING:
Valid only when the break down depends on temperature.
The energy of activation obtained in the study should be between
10 to 30 kcal/mole.
It is not useful when degradation is due to:
Microbial contamination
Photochemical reactions
Diffusion
Excessive agitation
When the product looses its physical integrity at higher
temperatures.
When the order changes at elevated temperatures.
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32. Conclusion :
Knowledge of stability of a formulation is very important for three primary
reasons:
The product must appear fresh, elegant and professional for as long as it
remains same.
In multiple dose containers, uniformity of dose of the active ingredient must
be ensured .
The active ingredient must be available to the patient through out the
expected shelf life.
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