Development and Validation of HPLC-DAD Method for the Determination of Favipiravir and Studying the Impact of Vitamin C on the Pharmacokinetics of COVID-19 Antiviral Drug Favipiravir

Abstract

A novel, sensitive, and low-cost HPLC method for the rapid determination of favipiravir (FVR) in rat plasma was developed and validated, and the effect of vitamin C on FVR pharmacokinetic parameters was investigated. FVR and oxcarbazepine (IS) were separated using a mobile phase of 50% acetonitrile and 50% water (with 0.25% trifluoroacetic acid) at 1.0 mL/min flow rate and detected at λmax 289 nm. The intra- and interday values for FVR in plasma were less than 15%, with low, medium, and high QC levels for the relative recovery rate, according to ICH guidelines. Cmax values in the control and experimental groups were 558 ± 124.42 and 979.13 ± 138.10 ng/mL, respectively; t1/2 values were 7.15 ± 1.60 and 9.09 ± 1.14 h, AUC(0-t) values were 5697.70 ± 536.58 and 7381.62 ± 1577.58 ng.h/mL, and AUC(0-∞) values were 5697.70 ± 536.58 and 8192.36 ± 1721.67, respectively. According to the results, the experimental group’s Cmax of FVR was 75.17% higher than the control group’s, the Vz/F was lower, and the t1/2 was 1.86 h longer. The technique developed for determining FVR in plasma was useful for FVR pharmacokinetics and food–drug interaction investigations.

Keywords

• favipiravir
• vitamin C
• HPLC
• validation
• plasma
• pharmacokinetics