Abstract:
A pharmaceutical composition of Pemetrexed represented by formula I,
which is a liquid ready to use solution formulation or a lyophilized pharmaceutical
composition for parenteral administration comprising a pharmaceutically acceptable
organic amine, an inert gas and optionally containing at least one or more
pharmaceutically acceptable excipients. Also provided are processes for preparation of
the ready to use solution formulation or lyophilized pharmaceutical composition of the
present invention.
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Notices, Deadlines & Correspondence
B - 310, SOM DATT CHAMBERS - 1, BHIKAJI CAMA PLACE, NEW DELHI 110 066, INDIA
Inventors
1. KHATTAR, DHIRAJ
FRESENIUS KABI ONCOLOGY LIMITED, ECHELON INSTITUTIONAL AREA, PLOT NO -11, SECTOR-32, GURGAON-122001, HARYANA, INDIA
2. KHANNA, RAJESH
FRESENIUS KABI ONCOLOGY LIMITED, ECHELON INSTITUTIONAL AREA, PLOT NO -11, SECTOR-32, GURGAON-122001, HARYANA, INDIA
3. YADAV, MUKTI
FRESENIUS KABI ONCOLOGY LIMITED, ECHELON INSTITUTIONAL AREA, PLOT NO -11, SECTOR-32, GURGAON-122001, HARYANA, INDIA
4. BURMAN, KRISHANU
FRESENIUS KABI ONCOLOGY LIMITED, ECHELON INSTITUTIONAL AREA, PLOT NO -11, SECTOR-32, GURGAON-122001, HARYANA, INDIA
Specification
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to pharmaceutical compositions of Pemetrexed containing a
pharmaceutically acceptable organic amine and an inert gas. The pharmaceutical composition
may optionally include other pharmaceutically acceptable excipients which comprises any one or
combination of antioxidants/ chelating agents/ amino acids/ stabilizers/ preservatives/ bulking
agents/ buffers/ organic solvents/ carriers/ diluents/ and solubilizers. The pharmaceutical
compositions of the present invention are stable and pharmaceutically acceptable.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Certain folic acid antimetabolites are known to be antineoplastic agents. These compounds inhibit
enzymatic conversion involving metabolic derivatives of folic acid. One such compound described
by U.S.Pat. No. 5,344,932, known as "Pemetrexed" represented by Formula-1 shown below, is
currently formulated into a concentrated liquid for administration as an infusion dosage form. This
member of the folic acid family has been approved for treatment of malignant pleural
mesothelioma and for second-line treatment of non small cell lung cancer. Pemetrexed disodium
salt heptahydrate represented by Formula-11 is marketed by Eli Lilly and Company under the trade
name ALIMTA® as a sterile lyophilized powder for intravenous administration. The commercial
product is reported to be a lyophilized powder of heptahydrate Pemetrexed disodium and
mannitol. The lyophilized product is available in strengths of 1 OOmg/vial and 500 mg/vial and is
reconstituted with 0.9% sodium chloride at a concentration of 25mg/ml before its administration.
0 OOOH
Formula I
2
Formula II
The formulation teachings of the US. Patent. No. 5,344,932 provides that the compounds claimed
therein can be administered parenterally.
It was found that a simple, isotonic saline solution of Pemetrexed is not pharmaceutically
acceptable for commercial purposes due to degradation of the solution to form unacceptable
related substances. The chemical instability of Pemetrexed is mainly attributed to their oxidative
and acidic degradation.
Bernd et a/ in US Patent No. 6,686,365 discloses a stable ready to use (RTU)
formulation of Pemetrexed which is developed by using antioxidants/amino acids
like L-Cysteine, Monothioglycerol and Thioglycolic acid. The preferred salt of the
Pemetrexed is clearly mentioned as Pemetrexed disodium and also atleast one
antioxidant. The formulation disclosed is aqueous one.
Yanling et a/ in CN Patent No. 101081301, again discloses a RTU formulation
of Pemetrexed stabilized by using antioxidant like L-arginine, L-glutathione, Lmethionine
and L-tryptophan. The preferred salt of the Pemetrexed is clearly
mentioned as Pemetrexed disodium and also mentioned is atleast one
antioxidant
Palepu eta/ in PCT Application No. W02012/015810, claims a RTU solution
formulation of Pemetrexed along with an antioxidant, a chelating agent and
dissolved in a pharmaceutically acceptable fluid. The Preferred salt is
Pemetrexed disodium and the composition mentioned is aqueous composition
with chelating agent and antioxidant.
3
Chandrasekhar et a/ in US Patent Application Publication No. 20110201631,
discloses lyophilized formulations of amorphous Pemetrexed and its salts and
the preferred one is disodium salt of Pemetrexed. The amorphous form of
Pemetrexed is particularly referred in this patent application.
It is indicated from all the above mentioned prior arts that all the pharmaceutical
compositions of Pemetrexed utilizes the preferred salt of Pemetrexed which is
Pemetrexed disodium. Antioxidants are also used in the prior art compositions. Further
all the abovementioned prior art compositions are aqueous based formulations.
Further there is a prior art disclosure US 20080139810 that discloses a process
for preparing disodium salt of Pemetrexed, wherein the starting material is
Pemetrexed of formula I. The Pemetrexed thus utilized is converted to
Pemetrexed disodium of formula II during lyophilization process. Hence, there is
in-situ formation of Pemetrexed disodium during lyophilization and the final
product contains Pemetrexed disodium.
In light of the abovementioned prior arts there remains a need to develop stable
parenteral pharmaceutical compositions of Pemetrexed of formula I. In the present
invention it was surprisingly found that Pemetrexed according to formula I containing
pharmaceutically acceptable organic amines and an inert gas are favorable in
formulating pharmaceutical composition for medical use.
Further controlled oxygen content with inert gas purging and/or using
antioxidants/chelating agents/amino acids and maintaining higher pH values using
pharmaceutically acceptable organic amines is useful in controlling the oxidative and
acidic degradation of Pemetrexed respectively.
The formulation of the present invention provides the composition of Pemetrexed with
pharmaceutically acceptable organic amine which is free of sodium ions of disodium salt
of Pemetrexed released during the dilution of the pharmaceutical composition of
Pemetrexed disodium and uses pharmaceutically acceptable organic amines to control
the acidic degradation.
4
Against this backdrop of oxidative and acidic degradation the inventors of the present
Application have surprisingly found that stable pharmaceutical compositions of
Pemetrexed may be developed by utilizing Pemetrexed along with a pharmaceutically
acceptable organic amine and may optionally contain some other pharmaceutically
acceptable excipients.
Object of the invention
It is an object of the present invention to overcome the drawbacks of the prior art.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a stable pharmaceutical
composition of Pemetrexed by utilizing Pemetrexed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a pharmaceutical
composition of Pemetrexed represented by formula I,
which is a ready to use solution composition or a lyophilized pharmaceutical composition
for parenteral administration comprising a pharmaceutically acceptable organic amine,
an inert gas and optionally containing at least one or more pharmaceutically acceptable
excipients.
According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a process for
preparing ready to use pharmaceutical composition comprising the steps:
5
a. taking suitable quantity of water for injection in vessel and adding required
quantity of organic amine to the water for injection,
b. adding organic solvent to the above mixture and mixing uniformly,
c. purging inert gas into the solution to minimize the dissolved oxygen content,
d. adding Pemetrexed to the above mixture and dissolving and adjusting the pH
to about 6-8,
e. filtering the solution and filling in vials,
f. blanketing vial headspace with inert gas to achieve headspace oxygen content
less than 2% and more preferably less than 0.5%,
g. stoppering and sealing the vials.
According to yet another aspect of the present invention there is provided a process for
preparing lyophilized pharmaceutical composition comprising the steps:
a. taking suitable quantity of water for injection in vessel,
b. purging inert gas into the water for injection to minimize the dissolved oxygen
content,
c. adding required quantity of organic amine and bulking agent and dissolving in
water for injection,
d. adding Pemetrexed and dissolving and adjusting the pH to about 6-8,
e. making up the volume using water for injection,
f. filtering the solution and filling in vials,
g. stoppering the vials and lyophilizing by breaking the vacuum using inert gas.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
One aspect of the present invention is the preparation of the pharmaceutical composition
of Pemetrexed in combination with a pharmaceutically acceptable organic amine and an
inert gas which is stable.
The term "pharmaceutical composition" in accordance with the present invention refers
to various dosage forms like ready to use and lyophilized pharmaceutical compositions
6
suitable for administration of a drug, such as parenteral, intravenous, intraarterial,
intramuscular, subcutaneous etc.
An organic amine is an organic compound which acts as a base. They usually contain
nitrogen atoms, which can easily be protonated. The preferred organic amines of the
present invention are selected from Tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane, N-(2-
Acetamido )-2-aminoethanesulfonic acid, N-(2-(Acetamido )imino )diacetic acid, 2-Amino-
2-methyl-1-propanol, 2-Amino-2-methyl-1,3-propanediol, N-(1,1-Dimethyl-2-
hydroxyethyl)-3-amino-2-hydroxypropanesulfonic acid, N,N-Bis(2-hydroxyethyl)-2-
aminoethanesulfonic acid, N,N-Bis(2-hydroxyethyl)glycine, 2,2'-(Propane-1,3-
diyldiimino)bis[2-(hydroxymethyl)propane-1,3-diol], 2-[Bis(2-hydroxyethyl)imino]-2-
(hydroxymethyl)-1,3-propanediol, 2-Aminoethanol, (2R,3R,4R,5S)-6-
Methylaminohexane-1,2,3,4,5-pentol, 2,2',2"-Nitrilotriethanol. The preferred
pharmaceutically acceptable organic amines are tromethamine and meglumine. The
organic amines may be present in amounts of about 40 to 90% by weight of Pemetrexed
of formula I.
Another aspect of the present invention is pharmaceutical compositions of Pemetrexed
that is free of the sodium ions of disodium salt of Pemetrexed.
The term "pharmaceutically acceptable" refers to an ingredient that is useful in preparing
a pharmaceutical composition that is generally safe, non-toxic, and neither biologically
nor otherwise undesirable, and includes those acceptable for veterinary use as well as
human pharmaceutical use.
In one embodiment of the present invention the pharmaceutical composition of the
present invention may optionally comprise other pharmaceutically acceptable excipients
which comprises any one or combination of antioxidants/ chelating agents/ amino acids/
preservatives/ bulking agents/ buffers/ organic solvents/ carriers/ diluents/ and
solubilizers.
The pharmaceutical compositions may further optionally include one or more
pharmaceutically acceptable excipients. These pharmaceutically acceptable excipients
may include one or more of: diluents or bulking agents such as dextrose, sucrose,
7
mannose, mannitol and the like; antibacterial preservatives, including one or more of
phenylmercuric nitrate, thiomersal, benzalkonium chloride, benzethonium chloride,
phenol, cresol and chlorobutanol; chelating agents such as ethylenediamine tetraacetic
acid (EDTA); buffers including one or more of acetate, citrate, tartarate, phosphate,
benzoate, And bicarbonate buffers, and amino acids such as glutamic acid and histidine;
tonicity contributors including one or more of hydrochloric acid, dextrose, mannitol,
sorbitol, and lactose. Antioxidants include monothioglycerol, 1-Cysteine, and thioglycolic
acid, sodium metabisulfite, ascorbic acid, sodium EDTA, monoethanolamine gentisate,
sodium formaldehyde sulfoxylate, sodium bisulfite.
The term "organic solvent" means an organic material, usually a liquid, capable of
dissolving other substances.
Suitable solvents that can be used for preparing pharmaceutical compositions of
Pemetrexed include water and any organic solvents from the various classes of
solvents, such as, for example, alcohols, ketones, esters, ethers, halogenated
hydrocarbons, aromatic hydrocarbons, nitriles, aprotic polar solvents, acidic solvents,
and mixtures of any two or more thereof. Useful alcohols include, for example, methanol,
ethanol, denatured spirits, n-propanol, isopropanol, n-butanol, isobutanol, t-butanol,
polyhydroxy alcohols example ethylene glycol, glycerin, propylene glycol, polyethylene
glycol, diethylene glycol, diglycerin, triethylene glycol, tetraethylene glycol,
trimethylolpropane and the like. Useful ketones include acetone, propanone, 2-
butanone, and the like. Useful halogenated hydrocarbons include, for example,
dichloromethane, 1,2-dichloroethane, chloroform, carbon tetrachloride, chlorobenzene,
and the like. Useful esters include, for example, ethyl acetate, n-propyl acetate, isopropyl
acetate, n-butyl acetate, t-butyl acetate, and the like. Useful ethers include, for example,
dimethyl ether, diethyl ether, methyl t-butyl ether, ethyl methyl ether, diisopropyl ether,
tetrahydrofuran, dioxane, and the like. Useful aromatic hydrocarbons include, for
example, toluene, xylene, and the like. Useful nitriles include acetonitrile, propionitrile,
and the like. Useful aprotic polar solvents include N,N-dimethylformide (DMF),
dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO), N,N-dimethylacetamide (DMA), and the like. Useful acidic
solvents include formic acid, acetic acid, and the like. This listing is not intended to be
exhaustive, and combinations of solvents that are useful can include more than one
member of a class, and/or can be from different classes.
8
The above mentioned antioxidants/ chelating agents/ amino acids/ preservatives/ bulking
agents/ buffers/ organic solvents/ carriers/ diluents/ and solubilizers may be present in
the compositions in pharmaceutically acceptable quantities.
The pharmaceutical compositions as developed by the Inventors of the present invention
are provided as lyophilized powder and ready to use solutions that are suitable for
parenteral administration after reconstitution with a suitable diluting fluid.
In one embodiment of the present invention, pharmaceutical compositions of
Pemetrexed as per the present invention has a pH between about 4 and about 1 0,
preferably between about 5 and 8 and more preferably in the range of about 6.0 and
about 8.
'
According to another aspect of the present invention "stability" is referred to both the
physical and chemical stability.
These formulations are presented as a single vial presentation having Pemetrexed
concentrations in the range of 2.5 to 50 mg/ml of which the preferred concentration is 25
mg/ml. These pharmaceutical compositions are then administered via intravenous
infusion to treat patients suffering from malignant pleural mesothelioma and for secondline
treatment of non small cell lung cancer which is the approved indication of
Pemetrexed.
In another embodiment of the present invention, so as to minimize oxidation of the
sensitive material it is also desirable to remove headspace oxygen and moisture or both
from the sealable vessel as quickly as possible. This may be aided by, for example,
purging the sealable container with a gas which is substantially oxygen-free, or
substantially moisture free, or substantially oxygen and moisture free before, during or
after step, or any combination thereof. Purging can be expected to reduce the oxygen
level in the sealable container to a level of from about 0.1% to about 10%, typically about
5% or lower, depending on the efficiency of flushing and how quickly the container is
sealed after flushing.
9
The gas used for purging the sealable container may be any appropriate inert gas known
to those in the art, the most commonly used gases being argon, helium or nitrogen, or
mixtures thereof. However the most preferred inert gas is nitrogen.
In another embodiment of the present invention, to control the acidic degradation of the
pharmaceutical composition of Pemetrexed, pharmaceutically acceptable organic amine
is used which maintains the pH of the solution more than 7, thereby reducing the acidic
degradation impurities. The preferred organic amines of the present invention include
pharmaceutically acceptable organic amines such as tromethamine and meglumine, of
which tromethamine is the most preferred organic amine.
In another embodiment of the present invention there is provided a process for preparing
ready to use pharmaceutical composition where the process comprises the following
steps:
a. taking suitable quantity of water for injection in vessel and adding required quantity of
organic amine to the water for injection,
b. adding organic solvent to the above mixture and mixing uniformly,
c. purging inert gas into the solution to minimize the dissolved oxygen content,
d. adding Pemetrexed to the above mixture and dissolving and adjusting the pH to about
6-8,
e. filtering the solution and filling in vials,
f. blanketing vial headspace with inert gas to achieve headspace oxygen content less
than 2% and more preferably less than 0.5%,
g. stoppering and sealing the vials.
In a further embodiment of the present invention there is provided a process for
preparing lyophilized pharmaceutical composition comprising the steps:
a. taking suitable quantity of water for injection in vessel,
b. purging inert gas into the water for injection to minimize the dissolved oxygen content,
c. adding required quantity of organic amine and bulking agent and dissolving in water
for injection,
d. adding Pemetrexed and dissolving and adjusting the pH to about 6-8,
e. making up the volume using water for injection,
f. filtering the solution and filling in vials,
10
g. stoppering the vials and lyophilizing by breaking the vacuum using inert gas.
The invention is further illustrated by way of the following examples, which in no way
should be construed as limiting the scope of the invention.
EXAMPLES
Various embodiments of the pharmaceutical compositions of Pemetrexed according to
the present invention were prepared and studied for their stability and impurity profile
when stored under accelerated stability conditions, which are illustrated below:
The pharmaceutical compositions of Pemetrexed were prepared using organic solvents
along with ethanol and water without nitrogen purging or adjusting the pH with organic
amines. The pharmaceutical compositions were held for stability and were found to be
unacceptable.
Example 01
Pharmaceutical composition of Pemetrexed with Ethanol and Water
1 Pemetrexed 25mg 25 mg
2 Dimethyl Acetamide 0.34 ml 0.34 ml
3 Propylene Glycol 0.33 ml 0.33 ml
4 Water 0.33 ml
5 Ethanol 0.33ml
The stability profile of the pharmaceutical composition of Pemetrexed with water and
ethanol according to Example 01 is summarized in Table I.
11
Table 1: Stability profile of the pharmaceutical composition of Pemetrexed with water and
ethanol.
-~~"'llf·"'''"""''·''''ll~~ ''!~~ lll:i:i~tl~l:~i~i~~~'"t,", '~[',11 'f"~/4',/'~:"~;.T;.fr;"t'...-f'ti'~1~T f''t''"1 ~W , .h. ~t' >-. ,' , 1,,. ' • "f,';( Oi'~ f11i 't'~'1"' ~'{" ':f~"'"~·I"~J ~',".'.".',<.f~•4·~''~t j
•• 4 ~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~ .{ i';; i g~ !~~ 1' r,f' • ,: C ( ~ t " ,. ':\~ '('•h ~~·~;~
~r ~~-)!~.~ -- l·-·- .. {~;,:;l ~ ~ ~ .. "' ,... , ~r· ~' ~ ~{ ,.4/ft 1·)1 ·~.x.~ ~~,-li
!:II '"'· ,.,,, ,t·''· .JI.~ ~ -~h~·L ; . ·:,.f. ~·.,\~li01r:1"ti'J~,l~l~lf: 1;;~. · ··•1r:l,·fi•J~1~•·~~'J ?6t·.\"~~~
·~-;'h""·li;\~11J1li;>',' ~ .. •.,,.1' ~, ~~-· ': ' ·~ ',.,' ' '., . ' ' " ' ' ' ':"."•
• -~'l's\'§i~~~··~" •'tl ~:·.~~ · ·,, "'k · '. --: -::, ·1·,111;);•1 i'i] i}o~li ~Jo1'i' "Jfl i 1 -','r. \ l:l ~ ( ·~ • "' :• '· j iH'OI i · '.'1P 11::1 l lt:'h tli ~
~'~:ti:~h~~~-",.At,},ir;~"~-~~~~'il~~;~~~::..;~.::.~~ ~,:,~:~~--·:-. ~-'"" ~H·· ~ ,, ~ ~ -_"I jnm• ~~~~ "<8~ ~·t'~"~~:~~~~:~~-~
Initial 0.7 1.0
eooc /?days 9.5 19.5
40°Cn5%RH/
4.3 3.4
14 days
25°C/60%RH/
3.5 5.5
1 Month
It is evident from the Example 01 and stability profile in Table I that there was an
extensive oxidative and acidic degradation which was unacceptable.
Example 02
In order to control the oxidative degradation nitrogen purging was used which to some
extent controlled the oxidative impurities.
Pharmaceutical composition {'A' and '8') of Pemetrexed
Bii'lf-b~'lm~~j~~~~~-~~r.,~"'·:·'l'~~·"':':~-- :': . . < • " • • ' ' I Ill H"' ~ ~ •J
ii""' ;\i I I ,
Jl. Jl ~ ";'':.1.1•' ,+.!· '" :, ··~~- '"'j~1/fl!l• ~~hmn~- ·," . '-'J ~ ,-·,~;rl, ~!)lil~f i~~~! --~<,.~$','. •~,, • " ;'•,,:-~\~~:.'~·~~~~~' _..'/~ ,:,~ \,. ~ ••. ,~ •. ::.··.··.·•·,,-i;t{'\!J~,, .,! , •. ,' ' ' ' I~~~" I~IJ ~ :~:~;j
\'. i.,,t.- '• >!:''~"" f;t • 'it ...... ~,,.~ ,. ' ). ~i1 J> -~., • ..~ \ .:,;:,;:,··, "i• J''"ij!.:· }.~:;.' · ;\nl,, ~f ···"(•1(!l•'to}.11 loJ1 '•'. c.!' oi"!I J• n1 c:j fH •Jo• j·•1 ' .·,1
~~~·~f:~ \1fr~-~·,t,1:; ::i :f·,i~il·,: ~~·'~~' 1 ~;. ~-';.,1 • ; ~ 1
•
' I> I oq ~ ' " ,~~
~ ~;..l..~jC ... ~ ..... ~.~ .....~ ...,.~~!ta,~-~a --~lk<>!~ .. -- ~-..... """' ·- ~- -. "' .,. ~
1 Pemetrexed 25mg 25mg
2 Dimethyl Acetamide 0.28 ml 0.16 ml
3 Propylene Glycol 0.72 ml 0.84 ml
4 Nitrogen* q.s. q.s.
12
The pH of the pharmaceutical compositions 'A' and 'B' according to this example was
found to be between 4-5 which lead to the extensive hydrolytic degradation which is
unacceptable as per regulatory requirements. The stability profile of the pharmaceutical
composition of Pemetrexed according to Example 02 is summarized in Table II.
Table II: Stability profile of the pharmaceutical composition of Pemetrexed according to
Example 02
-T~f~~!l:1(!il'mll!i'il;t!~l<~'""' ' r.nniri,(/lii.WFI'ilili~!
.. >J Ji~~·~~:.;'. . -~ ~ 'rj_:: .~(·~1~'i ."'"';~. '_,"""('~ <~ .,, , , __.--.. ~· " ,,< " ,~ .. ~ - ~~'~ ~ h~• ~ , ,r .. n H ":: _ ~~~~:~~~ ~~~
Initial 0.44 0.44
60°C /?days 5.08 6.45
40°Cn5%RH/
2.19 2.52
14 days
25°C/60%RH/
1.15 1.16
1 Month
It is evident from the above example that pharmaceutical compositions 'A' and 'B' the
stability profile is not found to be acceptable but still found better than the Example 01
hence to control the acidic impurities use of organic amines was necessary in
pharmaceutical composition of Pemetrexed.
In order to control oxidative as well as acidic degradation of Pemetrexed various
experiments were performed which are described below only for illustrative.
Example 03
Pharmaceutical composition of Pemetrexed:
·-~~~~~·-(!I'"""' e·•,>-;,"""'/>11'1"'1"'~~ lt~••,w< "ill"~ I - -,.,--'WC~;JIIII!!m:J!!;' ~~~
J ~j '1'ij <~ .'$,>~"··< "TI"'' < '< ' " ~!""Yj( ~ f -< "'tt ~ ', ~"'r~v':\.:ij;;:;-~ ; : c:t.;:~ .. ;~~tl·k:;! ., :: . . ) II "' , . ' <' ''•:l ~ • '" "~""'"""-"""""-"""''''"'·'-""L .•....•.•.. ·'~ > ~ .. ~·~ -""~-x•= ~ .... _:;w::J_
1 Pemetrexed 25mg
2 Tromethamine 15 mg
3 Hydrochloric acid, if required q.s. to pH 6 - 8
13
4 Water for Injection qs to 1ml
5 Nitrogen Nil
Table Ill: Stability profile of the pharmaceutical composition of Pemetrexed according to
Example 03
~~~~'~"lt"-i'>"'.1l"l:-tJ">m:.m!"-"~·~" '4'~t-;J;l!~!!'t~~t': ~~;!:~: ·<,,>r:'; :•.• ,l.,: -·'1·~,~,· ~,-:,~ ''\"t'"''"f.l•"f' '•·M:,->.- •"<'':'.·A. i,r-.'.' · "'' • '· '~ '1f.'l' l:tl /."- :ul:r.V':Tit'.:t'=L'·) ~ · J '"'·• ' %' '] ·? ~'j1'r, ·~f···~ill>~¥11\~ · · ' ·•· .... '. . .. . ... ·-~ ·"'.~ ·~ ".;"::-.;",:':~',' ~'·i~!·l ~<~'lli<-~'" ..... _j. k¥;.,._,., .... 01~ Ol < - ~ •• I"'~
Initial 0.61
40°Cn5%RH/14 days 3.42
25°C/60%RH/1 Month 3.07
From the above table it is evident that using tromethamine alone is not sufficient but
nitrogen purging is required for composing a stable composition. This is evident from
Example 04 where both nitrogen purging as well as tromethamine was used to minimize
the degradation due to oxidative as well as acidic factors.
Example 04
Pharmaceutical composition of Pemetrexed:
-~~~~~,~~;;j";'f";<•r,•~~ ~''\'o/.~'~'J, 1'~~\'"f' '1'\"'~!i!l"f'";c·· .''•t,<~·f'r'/; 't< ' · ' ''' ·· ' 1... ""~ ;(.~' ,:J~i ~.,., .. ~" ~· ~. l,~ 11l'f',"!'"l 0 .,.,... """" I II ~,._' ~~ v-:~·;0<,f,.,_,~ltt i~tjlt't·.''c''L' .. \•, t fol~Yflllll .. ,,,j,>,-1
T,{, ~~~~· _,':tl.Jiiljli'";,l \!/' .,.\<{ ,~' t"~ "'/!:•< "•' ,~' >" ' : I ,;i; > J;!
~ ~~ ·~ .. " ·~~'r '~ ~Jil1~r~,' .. ,~ ~',t"X'. ,; , ~ ,.i
a~ii. ~'~-~~"""'"~~·'"':.t:. ... --t....,._._._,_ ......... "..,.. ~ ... ~ ~ -~"' -~·-~J-"'~""" ~·· ,,.,_......,....., .. ~'"""'·;ilo """'"'"··~~~
1 Pemetrexed 25mg
2 Tromethamine 15 mg
3 Hydrochloric acid, if required q.s. to pH 6 - 8
4 Water for Injection qs to 1ml
5 Nitrogen* qs
* Nitrogen is used for purging in bulk solution and blanketing in vial headspace
14
The pharmaceutical composition according to Example 04 is prepared by below
mentioned process.
Suitable quantity of water for injection in a manufacturing vessel is taken. Nitrogen was
purged into water for injection until dissolved oxygen content of water for injection comes
less than 7 mg/L, preferably less than 3 mg/L. Continue to bubble nitrogen upto making
up of the volume with water for injection. After nitrogen bubbling added and dissolved
required quantity of tromethamine in water for injection. After addition of tromethamine
Pemetrexed was added and dissolved. If required, adjusted the pH to 6- 8 with the help
of 1 O%w/v tromethamine solution or 1 O%v/v hydrochloric acid solution. Volume was
made up to 100% with water for injection. Filtered the drug solution through a suitable
0.21J filter. Filled the filtered solution into vials. Blanket the vial headspace with nitrogen
to achieve headspace oxygen content less than 8%, preferably less than 2%. The vials
were stoppered and finally sealed.
Stability profile of the pharmaceutical composition as mentioned in Example 04 has been
summarized below in Table IV
Table-IV: Stability profile of the pharmaceutical composition as mentioned in Example
04
Initial 103.8 6.9 0.37
60°C /?days 103.6 6.9 0.79
40°C/75%RH/
105.0 7.1 0.54
14 days
25°C/60%RH/
106.9 7.1 0.46
1 Month
As evident from the Table IV stability profile of the pharmaceutical composition of
Example 04 is found to be superior as compared to the Example 01 , 02 & 03.
15
Example 05
Pharmaceutical composition of Pemetrexed
~~ID"'"'r~.~~~"l!:m!'~~r' ~'£-?",If~~" 'illl~~ I"W"'"'·- .. ·~ j_"' m~ ~·1 -.....,.,, • " ' ~
'> .,..
• ~ ~ j :m:u;~'H' ~
.,.~-r-J'"~ ~·: 1 ·.·.:f ·, ::~.·. ~ ; n ihtirn•i!£rtft-· .. · · ·" · · · l· ·ul>.'/11'11. ' . ~A - h 'l'r. , . . ~ ., . . . . . . . ' I" ~
p..J..._,-,,..;, .~ ~ •• ,.., ·"~ ... )(i; f"- .: J ; .. "~I, < •' ' -"' ~"-"- ' . '
&· .. \1;6·..,;~,..1."'-~ ~ io0J.<.i:lo1. ... ~" \ll'Jtlh.'ii'!ii 1-~:iiil~ ;J.~.~"'""""'-- fJii!Jiill;"""lt\!j'~~ JO.:.t.ll'~,;;t;:.Jt.:;;:.t"' ;2 ~* "'h· . . , , "'"""''~ _.},C--'..._.,, ... .,.'"'"'""-~A
1 Pemetrexed 25mg
2 Tromethamine 15 mg
3 Hydrochloric acid, if required q.s. to pH 6 - 8
4 Propylene glycol 50 %v/v
5 Water for Injection qs to 1 ml
6 Nitrogen* qs
* Nitrogen is used for purging in bulk solution and blanketing in vial headspace
The pharmaceutical composition according to Example 05 is prepared by below
mentioned process.
Suitable quantity of water for injection is taken in a manufacturing vessel. Required
quantity of tromethamine in water for injection was added and dissolved. Other solvents
i.e., propylene glycol was added and mixed uniformly. Nitrogen was purged until
dissolved oxygen content of solution comes less than 7 mg/L, preferably less than 3
mg/L. Continue to bubble nitrogen upto the filteration of the solution. Pemetrexed was
added and dissolved. pH of the solution was adjusted if required to 6- 8 with the help of
1 O%w/v tromethamine solution or 1 O%v/v hydrochloric acid solution. Volume was made
upto 100% with water for injection. Filtered the drug solution through a suitable 0.21J
filter. The filtered solution was filled into vials. Blanket the vial headspace with nitrogen
to achieve headspace oxygen content less than 8%, preferably less than 2%. The vials
were stoppered and finally sealed.
Stability profile of the Formulation as mentioned in Example 05 has been summarized
below in Table V:
16
Table-V: Stability profile of the Formulation as mentioned in Example 05
-"'1f"~'eni l'''t''!1!i'' "" '-~" '''"~'''n"rv- ·~f··~·~··'"·· '·','''""'I•' :.. '... , ,.,. .,~. .. ; · ·,'. j.-{ :1r:iF..::,,.:_ jJ.)' t:'j•~ l.i,:. t..;f~• •; ~ ~-t~ \if~~;!; "'?t:·~~~~ r ~ ~ ,~l,l ; ·~ ,~~ I"", • ,J I
!J:ffi)~~t 1]! t1'·.?<.~,:',,:.pa~''1 .;.'. ,., ,I.'. ·. l.:) t"t *·,_x: 1·h~-,7' :~·l, 'r • T'. . . _, ..· .- ·-·· '"""·"":! 'I. .,; ~ J' :, ~ • :, : · •• ~.~'{i "'~~~ :tt£"7 ~ ,.._io1J1!•!}",~•' ~ ,jl ~lle~,•:_.., •• ~\ • ' .,. tr • ••I"" ~" {•\, "-l'',;'l:i"''l "' ~,·if"O• 'l "l '.Ji,/ii"' ,,., ···' , •••• d,,H c •l ~:ll fl1 I•JI i ~ ~ \11/i. :1 ~~
~~:~~~~ ¥~~"-.$ ~~:~~~~~i~.Lf~~!'~-~):~:~~~\j .. -· '~ ~ ·, -~. "'.J ·~~~f~i~
~t..'l.~~~~~W~~t.J~""~~"'~~4.:.~tilt~~~l.~/~~-· , .. "· ~~'"~·- _ k , "".-.~ •• , "-"":.. ~:"""~:~ •• .~:~~[!~~u
Initial 101.9 6.8 0.38
60°C /?days 100.9 6.9 1.08
40°Cn5%RH/
102.0 6.8 0.60
14 days
25°C/60%RH/
103.7 7.0 0.48
1 Month
Example 06
Pharmaceutical composition of Pemetrexed
1 Pemetrexed 25mg
2 Tromethamine 15 mg
3 Hydrochloric acid, if required q.s. to pH 6 - 8
4 Dimethyl acetamide 16 %v/v
5 Propylene glycol 42 %v/v
6 Water for Injection qs to 1ml
7 Nitrogen* qs
* Nitrogen is used for purging in bulk solution and blanketing in vial headspace
The pharmaceutical composition according to Example 06 is prepared by below
mentioned process.
Suitable quantity of water for injection is taken in a manufacturing vessel. Required
quantity of tromethamine in water for injection was added and dissolved. Other solvents
17
i.e., PG and/or DMA were added and mixed uniformly. Nitrogen was purged until
dissolved oxygen content of solution comes less than 7 mg/L, preferably less than 3
mg/L. Continue to bubble nitrogen upto the filteration of the solution. Pemetrexed was
added and dissolved. pH of the solution was adjusted if required to 6- 8 with the help of
1 O%w/v tromethamine solution or 1 O%v/v hydrochloric acid solution. Volume was made
upto 100% with water for injection. Filtered the drug solution through a suitable 0.21J
filter. The filtered solution was filled into vials. Blanket the vial headspace with nitrogen
to achieve headspace oxygen content less than 8%, preferably less than 2%. The vials
were stoppered and finally sealed.
Example 07
Pharmaceutical composition of Pemetrexed
n~~l-~~Y:Rii\!,Y.·'i~:;:;ffm~~flFl'fti{"""'-:;'?~;'1'T",.,.,,W ., . ·: .. : ~Ptr"·jL .,.. ----::·· ·:~·~-
~· ~ -··',I~)·; .. ,· ill •Cil I\ !I •. 11,111
';j!'1 1'a)11 S 1 • " :>.: V<' r -"" ~ • ~ • { \.; ,. 'l;' , > 1 , I ~ij,l ~~~tlli'"'"""'-";i,U.;.;..,j~-"--""'"-""' ~ .. .., - -""'---..~ ~-·-- '"''"--'" -~~-· -~-~iiliiiil'iil~
1 Pemetrexed 25mg
2 Tromethamine 15 mg
3 Hydrochloric acid, if required q.s. to pH 6 - 8
4 Dimethyl acetamide 16 %v/v
5 Propylene glycol 42 %v/v
6 Ethanol qs to 1ml
7 Nitrogen* qs
* Nitrogen is used for purging in bulk solution and blanketing in vial headspace
The pharmaceutical composition according to Example 07 is prepared by below
mentioned process.
Suitable quantity of Ethanol is taken in a manufacturing vessel. Required quantity of
tromethamine in Ethanol was added and dissolved. Other solvents i.e., Propylene glycol
and/or Dimethylacetamide were added and mixed uniformly. Nitrogen was purged until
dissolved oxygen content of solution comes less than 7 mg/L, preferably less than 3
18
mg/L. Continue to bubble nitrogen upto the filteration of the solution. Pemetrexed was
added and dissolved. pH of the solution was adjusted if required to 6 - 8 with the help of
1 O%w/v tromethamine solution or 1 O%v/v hydrochloric acid solution. Volume was made
upto 100% with ethanol. Filtered the drug solution through a suitable 0.21J filter. The
filtered solution was filled into vials. Blanket the vial headspace with nitrogen to achieve
headspace oxygen content less than 8%, preferably less than 2%. The vials were
stoppered and finally sealed.
Example 08
Pharmaceutical composition of Pemetrexed
B''Dm~~~~~,~:~,~·f'fflrH~fr~~i~'£i:~~~,;:::.0l::: ~-- _, · ;r· ·, ' '''''"'"~"'':~ 'f11fi'"1 ' ' '~ , ~'J' ;q. ~car ~ ~ . . ~ I , ~ .!,,,, '~ 1\ ! c l~ ~ :· 1>,'" <1
~ !"~ ~:;~l~"~..,'C":~;j1 i+ ~~~ : ~; ~" • ~ "/~' ": • '"' ~ ~' ~~ I
B1m,•. ~v ~~~, : . ·l"i' iii,. .dl.t~~ -~'..,~,1" *~J'h:~r.,~ ~~"". .-......,;~,, ,.~ ' "c ""':~"" '"'""""~~~J..-""'-'-~~-.-..ol. " ~ "-"'""--'-""'"""-~"'.:,1~\-~.-~,~~ - • ---
1 Pemetrexed 25 mg
2 Tromethamine 15 mg
3 Hydrochloric acid, if required q.s. to pH 6 - 8
4 Dimethyl acetamide 33 %v/v
5 Propylene glycol 60 %v/v
6 Ethanol qs to 1ml
7 Nitrogen* qs
* Nitrogen is used for purging in bulk solution and blanketing in vial headspace
The pharmaceutical composition according to Example 08 is prepared by below
mentioned process.
Suitable quantity of Ethanol is taken in a manufacturing vessel. Required quantity of
tromethamine in Ethanol was added and dissolved. Other solvents i.e., Propylene glycol
and/or Dimethylacetamide were added and mixed uniformly. Nitrogen was purged until
dissolved oxygen content of solution comes less than 7 mg/L, preferably less than 3
mg/L. Continue to bubble nitrogen upto the filteration of the solution. Pemetrexed was
added and dissolved. pH of the solution was adjusted if required to 6- 8 with the help of
19
10%w/v tromethamine solution or 10%v/v hydrochloric acid solution. Volume was made
upto 100% with ethanol. Filtered the drug solution through a suitable 0.21J filter. The
filtered solution was filled into vials. Blanket the vial headspace with nitrogen to achieve
headspace oxygen content less than 8%, preferably less than 2%. The vials were
stoppered and finally sealed.
Example 09
Pharmaceutical composition of Pemetrexed
If-·:;;--, . §1'1·", "~·:, ,~-~""'"'" ~''¥·" ·l-~•'I• 'llljj,~,&-~"II~'C'"~·], ·~~-~-,~.-~' "" 'f- ~,, ,~~f.r,.~~ ·,w ,·.·:,::·.',·;, ~~".,1~1 ,j·•" ·'.· ' .' ' . .;. • ,lr r ' ·,>~, ~~-'1AI~u~1-1.I , " :• • ,,. .;:,, ~. ~·. .: .,.;'". . 1~,:. ~ ~JD-..· ;; ::>·r' ·.,:'::l ·'. _. ":. , -~ •'' '1. ·:f:,:~sjl'\:':'. :· l. ~~a~ ~~ .. B~ ~· ~~:;o· &1.~~ .. ~~~~~~1--~;:~ ~J h,.. ~ "' -~' - - ......._~• ul ' u ""' _........._:_ .. ~.;;;ih~~t.c~
1 Pemetrexed 25mg
2 Tromethamine 15 mg
3 Hydrochloric acid, if required q.s. to pH 6- 8
4 Dimethyl acetamide 33 %v/v
5 Propylene glycol 60 %v/v
6 Water for Injection qs to 1ml
7 Nitrogen* qs
* Nitrogen is used for purging in bulk solution and blanketing in vial headspace
The pharmaceutical composition according to Example 09 is prepared by below
mentioned process.
Suitable quantity of water for injection was taken in a manufacturing vessel. Required
quantity of tromethamine in water for injection was added and dissolved. Other solvents
i.e., Propylene glycol and/or Dimethylacetamide were added and mixed uniformly.
Nitrogen was purged until dissolved oxygen content of solution comes less than 7 mg/L,
preferably less than 3 mg/L. Continue to bubble nitrogen upto the filteration of the
solution. Pemetrexed was added and dissolved. pH of the solution was adjusted if
required to 6 - 8 with the help of 1 O%w/v tromethamine solution or 1 O%v/v hydrochloric
acid solution. Volume was made upto 100% with water for injection. Filtered the drug
20
solution through a suitable 0.21J filter. The filtered solution was filled into vials. Blanket
the vial headspace with nitrogen to achieve headspace oxygen content less than 8%,
preferably less than 2%. The vials were stoppered and finally sealed.
Example 10
Pharmaceutical composition of Pemetrexed
1
' ~j· ~ t•" '•lii"=·•tr=1·~• • ' l ~ ~ •
. " - t._ .. - k - - - .
1 Pemetrexed 25mg
2 Meglumine 22mg
3 Hydrochloric acid, if required q.s. to pH 6 - 8
4 Dimethyl acetamide 33 %v/v
5 Propylene glycol 60 %v/v
6 Water for Injection qs to 1ml
7 Nitrogen* qs
* Nitrogen is used for purging in bulk solution and blanketing in vial headspace
The pharmaceutical composition according to Example 10 is prepared by below
mentioned process.
Suitable quantity of water for injection was taken in a manufacturing vessel. Required
quantity of Meglumine in water for injection was added and dissolved. Other solvents
i.e., Propylene glycol and/or Dimethylacetamide were added and mixed uniformly.
Nitrogen was purged until dissolved oxygen content of solution comes less than 7 mg/L,
preferably less than 3 mg/L. Continue to bubble nitrogen upto the filteration of the
solution. Pemetrexed was added and dissolved. pH of the solution was adjusted if
required to 6 - 8 with the help of 1 0%w/v meglumine solution or 1 O%v/v hydrochloric acid
solution. Volume was made upto 100% with water for injection. Filtered the drug solution
through a suitable 0.21J filter. The filtered solution was filled into vials. Blanket the vial
21
headspace with nitrogen to achieve headspace oxygen content less than 8%, preferably
less than 2%. The vials were stoppered and finally sealed.
Various embodiments of the lyophilized pharmaceutical compositions of Pemetrexed
according to the present invention were prepared and studied for their stability and
impurity profile when stored under accelerated stability conditions, which are illustrated
below:
Example 11
Pharmaceutical composition of Pemetrexed
1 Pemetrexed 100 mg SOOmg
2 Tromethamine 60mg 300mg
3 Hydrochloric acid, if required q.s. to pH 6- 8 q.s. to pH 6 - 8
4 Bulking Agent 100mg SOOmg
5 Water for Injection# qs qs
6 Nitrogen* qs qs
* Nitrogen is used for purging in bulk solution and for vacuum break during lyophilization
# Removed during Lyophilization
The pharmaceutical composition according to Example 11 is prepared by below
mentioned process.
Suitable quantity of water for injection was taken in a manufacturing vessel. Nitrogen
was purged into water for injection until dissolved oxygen content of water for injection
comes less than 7 mg/L, preferably less than 3 mg/L. Continue to bubble· nitrogen. The
required quantity of tromethamine and bulking agent is added and dissolved in water for
injection of previous step. Pemetrexed was added and dissolved. If required, pH was
adjusted to 6 - 8 with the help of 1 O%wlv tromethamine solution or 1 O%v/v hydrochloric
acid solution. Volume was made upto 100% by Water for Injection. The drug solution
22
was filtered through a suitable 0.21J filter. The filtered solution was filled in vials. The vials
were partially stoppered. The vials were then loaded in lyophilizer. Run the pre-defined
lyophilization recipe. After lyophilization process is completed, partially break the
vacuum with Nitrogen gas. The vials were stoppered and unloaded and finally sealed
and labelled.
Example 12
Pharmaceutical composition of Pemetrexed
lml'••t·t~~i~ 't.'1 f. ~11l·~TM:r~t;rt·.':' ::·_:;.;,,: 7;,~?"J··~·.·",.l1r t·"·- ·_~.-~. ·h-~,. x.-.,...x.•t ._-r_~ ..- •u.,,.. · ·~-:~
~~ i~:~~l;l.l~,,"¥-"'f" "( .}· u";~;~": ~'j~ ~--~~~mL. __ ~---~-- "·-----~------ . ·~ j •'/J•¥,,t·f"'-"'';:... J>
1 Pemetrexed 100 mg 500mg
2 Tromethamine 60mg 300mg
3 Hydrochloric acid, if required q.s. to pH 6 - 8 q.s. to pH 6- 8
4 Water for Injection# qs qs
5 Nitrogen* qs qs
* Nitrogen is used for purging in bulk solution and for vacuum break during lyophilization
# Removed during Lyophilization
The pharmaceutical composition according to Example 12 is prepared by below
mentioned process.
Suitable quantity of water for injection was taken in a manufacturing vessel. Nitrogen
was purged into water for injection until dissolved oxygen content of water for injection
comes less than 7 mg/L, preferably less than 3 mg/L. Continue to bubble nitrogen. The
required quantity of tromethamine is added and dissolved in water for injection of
previous step. Pemetrexed was added and dissolved. If required, pH was adjusted to 6 -
8 with the help of 1 Oo/ow/v tromethamine solution or 1 Oo/ov/v hydrochloric acid solution.
Volume was made upto 100% by Water for Injection. The drug solution was filtered
through a suitable 0.21J filter. The filtered solution was filled in vials. The vials were
partially stoppered. The vials were then loaded in lyophilizer. Run the pre-defined
lyophilization recipe. After lyophilization process is completed, partially break the
23
vacuum with Nitrogen gas. The vials were stoppered and unloaded and finally sealed
and labelled.
Example 13
Pharmaceutical composition of Pemetrexed
I •,
~ .~! 0\. i hl~~~= ~tr:j~~!(_ .~ ' t:d r '' ,_j J .. I .. , ; I ~" ~ If I ' 1 F: I
I .. .h.J.i """'""' - -~ ,..~ - 0 ~ - """' -· -- - - 1 Pemetrexed 100mg 500mg
2 Meglumine 88mg 440mg
3 Hydrochloric acid, if required q.s. to pH 6- 8 q.s. to pH 6 - 8
4 Water for Injection# qs qs
5 Nitrogen* qs qs
* Nitrogen is used for purging in bulk solution and for vacuum break during lyophilization
# Removed during Lyophilization
The pharmaceutical composition according to Example 13 is prepared by below
mentioned process.
Suitable quantity of water for injection was taken in a manufacturing vessel. Nitrogen
was purged into water for injection until dissolved oxygen content of water for injection
comes less than 7 mg/L, preferably less than 3 mg/L. Continue to bubble nitrogen. The
required quantity of meglumine is added and dissolved in water for injection of previous
step. Pemetrexed was added and dissolved. If required, pH was adjusted to 6 - 8 with
the help of 1 O%w/v meglumine solution or 1 O%v/v hydrochloric acid solution. Volume
was made upto 100% by Water for Injection. The drug solution was filtered through a
suitable 0.21-J filter. The filtered solution was filled in vials. The vials were partially
stoppered. The vials were then loaded in lyophilizer. Run the pre-defined lyophilization
recipe. After lyophilization process is completed, partially break the vacuum with
Nitrogen gas. The vials were stoppered and unloaded and finally sealed and labelled.
24
The presently marketed composition of Pemetrexed 'Aiimta' was compared with the
formulation of the invention which is given below:
Table VI: Comparison of the stability profile of lyophilized composition of the
present invention with Alimta
Initial 97.7 0.14
40°Cfi5%RH 1 Month 104.0 0.26
40°Cfi5%RH 3Month 98.5 0.59
25°C/60%RH 6Month 99.6 0.32
--"~'"~" ''L"\:.t:,~' ~*";,;3J:7:; -" .............., . .......- ···-··~il'"""" -l" 'f:: ~. ~·~"}~~" ',•'l /:Y,~"t~''iJ-h,~ ~'~~
it~ ~r:(~·~·~tn-iP. ··· · .. ,,. · "1 • •••• "Jiij•· ~· ~~ tl',... ., ~ I ,..,j,_ ':\>]l,l~i"-'
- ill '{ ''.~· ,.' ,' •"r' '' ' ' , '' ' '1''·'',~~" ~ ~f~~ ' ~ ~,~ ,... ..,~ 1 {'""',! •. ' f 1 ,.• llll~u~~>J~~'Il:"l
Documents
Orders
Section
Controller
Decision Date
15
PIYUSH GARG
2020-03-13
15
PIYUSH GARG
2025-03-11
Application Documents
#
Name
Date
1
1648-DEL-2012-Annexure [20-12-2024(online)].pdf
2024-12-20
1
1648-DEL-2012-FORM 13 [10-12-2024(online)].pdf
2024-12-10
1
1648-DEL-2012-FORM-24 [10-04-2020(online)].pdf
2020-04-10
1
1648-del-2012-Form-3-(30-05-2012).pdf
2012-05-30
1
1648-DEL-2012-IntimationOfGrant11-03-2025.pdf
2025-03-11
1
1648-DEL-2012-Proof of Right [14-01-2025(online)].pdf
2025-01-14
2
1648-del-2012-Form-2-(30-05-2012).pdf
2012-05-30
2
1648-DEL-2012-PatentCertificate11-03-2025.pdf
2025-03-11
2
1648-DEL-2012-POA [10-12-2024(online)].pdf
2024-12-10
2
1648-DEL-2012-Proof of Right [13-01-2025(online)].pdf