Impurity profile study of zaleplon.

Ch Bharathi, K Joseph Prabahar, Ch S Prasad, M Saravana Kumar, S Magesh, V K Handa, Ramesh Dandala, A Naidu

Index: J. Pharm. Biomed. Anal. 44(1) , 101-9, (2007)

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Abstract

Zaleplon is a pyrazolopyrimidine derivative and possesses sedative and hypnotic properties. Seven unknown impurities in zaleplon bulk drug at levels below 0.1% were detected by reverse-phase high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The starting material, 3-amino-4-cyanopyrazole and an intermediate, N-[3-[3-(dimethylamino)-1-oxo-2-propenyl]-phenyl]-N-ethylacetamide (DOPEA) were also present in the sample at a level below 0.1%. The molecular weights of impurities were determined by LC-MS analysis. These impurities were isolated from crude samples of zaleplon using reverse-phase preparative HPLC. Based on the spectral data the structures of these impurities were characterized as, N-(3-(3-(4-amino-2H-pyrazolo [3,4-d]pyrimidin-6-yl) pyrazolo[1,5-a] pyrimidin-7-yl)phenyl)-N-ethylacetamide (impurity I); N-[3-(3-carboxamidopyrazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidin-7-yl)phenyl]-N-ethylacetamide (impurity II); N-[3-(3-cyanopyrazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidin-7-yl)phenyl]acetamide (impurity III); N-[3-(3-cyanopyrazolo [1,5-a]pyrimidin-7-yl)phenyl]-N-methylacetamide (impurity IV); N-[3-(3-cyanopyrazolo[1,5-a] pyrimidin-5-yl)phenyl]-N-ethylacetamide (impurity V); N-[3-(3-cyanopyrazolo[1,5-a] pyrimidin-7-yl)phenyl]-N-ethylamine (impurity VI); N-[3-(3-cyano-6-[(E)-3-((N-ethyl-N-acetyl)amino)phenyl-3-oxoprop-1-enyl] pyrazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidin-7-yl) phenyl]-N-ethylacetamide (impurity VII). Structural elucidation of all impurities by spectral data ((1)H NMR, (13)C NMR, MS and IR) and formation of these impurities are discussed in detail.