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Chlorambucil: stability of solutions during preparation and storage

  • Original Articles
  • Chlorambucil, Storage
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Summary

A stability-indicating high-performance liquid chromatographic method has been used to investigate the stability of chlorambucil in solution. Dissolved in ethanol and diluted with 150 mM NaCl (NS), the drug was found to be very much more stable frozen, with a value for 5% degraded (t 0.95 ) of approximately 8 months at-70°C. The presence of agar of cells, and freezing and thawing the solution did not reduce the concentration of chlorambucil significantly. The drug seemed to adsorb to polyvinyl chloride (PVC) infusion bags (but to no other container material) and also to all three filtration units tested. Intense light increased the degradation of the drug, whilst the addition of 10% serum to chlorambucil in medium increased the drug's stability four fold. Dilution with NS of stock solutions of chlorambucil in ethanol resulted in supersaturated solutions of the drug.

For preparation of the drug for in vitro drug sensitivity assays, the results suggest that care should be taken (a) in the initial dilution of the drug; (b) not to use filtration units to sterilize solutions; (c) to anticipate different degradation rates (and therefore cytotoxicity) if the serum concentration in medium is altered; and (d) to avoid the use of PVC.

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Author notes

  1. Helen E. Clarke

    Present address: Beecham Pharmaceuticals, Medicinal Research Centre, Coldharbour Road, The Pinnacles, CM19 5AD, Harlow, UK

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Bath Cancer Research Unit, Royal United Hospital, Combe Park, BA1 3NG, Bath, England

    Andrew G. Bosanquet & Helen E. Clarke

Authors
  1. Andrew G. Bosanquet
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  2. Helen E. Clarke
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Additional information

The work described in this paper was generously supported by the Leukaemia Research Fund and the Bath Area Medical Research Trust

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Bosanquet, A.G., Clarke, H.E. Chlorambucil: stability of solutions during preparation and storage. Cancer Chemother. Pharmacol. 18, 176–179 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00262292

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00262292

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