COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF REQUIREMENTS FOR QUALITY CONTROL OF ETHINYL ESTRADIOL AND LEVONORGESTREL CONTAINING MEDICINAL PRODUCTS

Abstract

The article compares test methods and levels of requirements laid out in the world’s leading pharmacopoeias and in manufacturers’ specifications with regard to the quality of levonorgestrel and ethinyl estradiol containing medicinal products used as oral contraceptives. The study analysed medicines containing a combination of levonorgestrel and ethinyl estradiol (Vezantra, Melleva, Microgynon, Minisiston, Modelle Libera etc.) that were tested at the FSBI «SCEEMP» of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation as part of premarketing evaluation. The comparison of the obtained data revealed that the test methods recommended by foreign pharmacopoeias and manufacturers’ specifications for quality control of medicines containing levonorgestrel and ethinyl estradiol are in line with the current trends in the pharmaceutical analysis and make it possible to adequately assess the quality of this group of medicines that are authorised in the Russian Federation. Manufacturers’ specifications include additional parameters, such as «Related impurities», «Microbiological purity», and, in some cases, «Identification of colouring agents» (titanium dioxide, iron oxide), «Average weight», «Disintegration», «Water», and «Residual organic solvents». The study showed that the requirements included into manufacturers’ specifications meet the requirements of the world’s leading pharmacopoeias or even exceed them, as in the case of the «Assay» parameter.

Keywords

• levonorgestrel
• ethinyl estradiol
• oral contraceptives
• quality control
• comparative analysis