Abstract: The present invention relaes to a pyndazinyl derivative (I) and use as a reference compound in the Jetermination of potentially genotoxic impurities in levosimendan samples. The invention also relates to an analytic method for the determintion of potentially genotoxic impurities in levosimendan samples wherein (I) is used as a reference compound. Levosimendan is a medicanent useful in the treatment of heart failure.