1. DRUG STABILITY & KINETICS
General Outline
Definition of drug stability and drug kinetics
Importance of studying kinetics
Basic math principles
Drug kinetics reaction orders
Determination of reaction orders
Shelf life and half life
Overage
Degradation pathways
Influence of packaging on drug stability
Influence of temperature on drug stability
Influence of catalysts on drug stability 1

2. Definition of drug stability and drug kinetics
It is defined as the study of the extent to which the properties
of a drug substance or drug product remain within specified limits at
certain temperature. Properties may be physical, chemical,
microbiological, toxicological or performance properties such as
disintegration and dissolution.
Drug Kinetics
It is defined as how drug changes with time i.e., study of rate
of change. Many drugs are not chemically stable and the
principles of chemical kinetics are used to predict the time span for
which a drug (pure or formulation) will maintain its therapeutic
effectiveness or efficacy at a specified temperature. 2

3. Importance of studying kinetics It determines:
Stability of drugs (t1/2)
Shelf life ((t0.9)
Expiration date
The half life (t1/2) is defined as the time necessary for a
drug to decay by 50% (e.g., From 100% to 50%, 50% to 25%, 20% to
10%)
Shelf life (t0.9)
It is defined as the time necessary for the drug to decay to
90% of its original concentration. 3

4. General equation: Y = mx+ b Y = dependent variable
Basic Math principles
i) The straight Line:
General equation: Y = mx+ b
Y = dependent variable
m = slope
X = independent variable
b = intercept
also
Ordinate = dependent variable axis
abscissa = independent variable axis 4

5. m = slope = ∆Y / ∆X 5

6. Advantages of use of straight line
Easier to determine parameters (slope and intercept)
Simultaneous determination of two parameters (m + b)
Logarithms:
(a) Common log (base10)
log 100 = log 102 = 2
log 1000 = log 103 = 3
(a) Natural log (base e = 2.72)
In 100 = In ex
In 100 = In 2.72x = 4.61 6

7. Relation between Log and Ln
Ln X = Log X
Rules for calculating with Log
log (a . b) = log a + log b
log (a / b) = log a - log b
log an = n log a
log ex = X
(iii) Differentiation:
Determination of the rate of change ( ≈ slope in graph) 7

8. Straight Line:
Slope = m = ∆Y / ∆X = constant 8

9. Curve: Slope is not constant but function of X
Slope = 1st derivative of y with respect to X 9

10. Rules of differentiation
y = axn dy/dx = anxn-1
e.g., y = x dy/dx = 2x
y = n eax dy/dx = an eax
e.g., y = 3e-2x dy/dx = -6e-2x
y = ln x dy/dx = 1/x
y = 1/x dy/dx = - 1/x2
y = ex dy/dx = ex
Example:
y = 10 x x2 + 5x + 5
dy/dx = 30 x2 + 4 x + 5 10

11. (iv) Integration AUC = a b
Determination of area under the curve i.e., sum or amount. a b
AUC =

12. Rules of Integration: Where; Y is the function of the graph
b = upper limit
a = Lower limit
Rules of Integration:

13. Example
Determine the area under the curve for the relationship
y = mx + b, upper limit = a and Lower limit = 0

15. If you do not know the equation of the line you can use the trapezoidal
rule to calculate the area under curve (AUC)
4) Order of Reactions
Law of mass action
The rate of a reaction is proportional to the molar concentrations of the reactants each raised to power equal to the number of molecules undergoing reaction.
a A + b B Product
Rate α [A]a .[B]b
Rate = K [A]a .[B]b
Order of reaction = sum of exponents
Order of A = a and B = b
Then Overall order = a + b

16. (CH3 CO)2 + 2 C2H5OH 2 CH3 CO2 C2H5 + H2O
Example:
The reaction of acetic anhydride with ethyl alcohol to form ethyl acetate and water
(CH3 CO)2 + 2 C2H5OH CH3 CO2 C2H5 + H2O
Rate = K [(CH3 CO)2 O] . [C2H5OH]2
Order for (CH3 CO)2 O is 1st order
Order for [C2H5OH]2 is 2nd order
Overall order of reaction is 3rd Order

17. Types of reaction orders
Zero order reaction:
It is a reaction where reaction rate is not dependent on the concentration of material i.e concentration is not changing (i.e. negligible amount of change).
Example: Fading of dyes

18. Equation for zero order: a [A] k Product (P) Rate = - dc/dt = K [c]0
- dc/dt = k dc = - k dt
co = Initial concentration
ct = Concentration at time t 18

19. Units of the rate constant K: c = co – Kt K = co – c /t
K = Concentration / time
= mole / liter . second
= M. sec-1 19

20. Determination of t1/2 Let c = co /2 and t1/2 = t substitute in equation; c = co – k t t1/2 = co / 2K Note: Rate constant (k) and t1/2 depend on co Determination of t0.9 Let c = 0.9 co and t= t0.9 c = co –k t t90% = t0.9 = 0.1 co / k 20

21. (b) First order reaction
The most common pharmaceutical reactions; e.g; drug absorption
& drug degradation
The reaction rate of change is proportional to drug concentration i.e.
drug conc. is not constant.
a [A] k Product (P)
Rate = - dc/dt = K [c]1
Equation: 21

22. C = co e –kt Difficult to determine slope
lnco
C = co e –kt Difficult to determine slope
lnc = lnco – kt
Slope = c1 – c2 / t1 – t2
Slope = -k C
Lnc
Log co
Log c = log co – kt / 2.303
Slope = c1 – c2 / t1 – t2
Slope = -k / 2.303
Logc
Or use semi log paper 22

23. Semi log paper Slope = log c1 – log c2 / t1 – t2 NOT c1 – c2 / t1 – t2
Slope = -K / 2.303
Slope = log c1 – log c2 / t1 – t2
NOT c1 – c2 / t1 – t2
Units of K:
lnc = lnco – Kt
K = ( lnco – lnc ) / t
Unit = time-1 23

24. Determination of t1/2 Let t = t1/2 and c = co /2 substitute in ln c = ln co – Kt t1/2 = ln 2/ K = / K K units = / t1/2 = time-1 Determination of t0.9 Let t = t0.9 c = 0.9 co substitute in ln c = ln co – Kt t0.9 = / K and K = 0.105/ t0.9 24

25. Example: A drug degrades according to the following:
Time (min.) Conc. (%)
Plot c against t on semi log paper and determine slope, K and t1/2 25

26. Solution: log 28.195 = 1.45 and log 1.5 = 0.176
slope = 1.45 – / 3 – 10 = / -7 =
Equation; log c = log co – Kt / 2.303
slope = -K/ 2.303
= - K / 2.303
K = min-1
t1/2 = / K
t1/2 = / = 1.66 minute 26

27. Special Case Apparent zero order of reaction In aqueous suspensions of drugs, as the dissolved drug decomposes more drug dissolve to maintain drugconcentration i.e. drug concentration kept constant, once all undissolved drug is dissolved, rate becomes first order. Another special case: Pseudo 1st order: When we have two components, one of which is changing appreciably from its initial concentration and the other is present in excess that it is considered constant or nearly constant. Note: In first order reactions, neither K or nor t1/2 is dependent on concentration 27

28. (c) 2nd Order reaction
When you have two components reacting with each
other or one component reacting with itself.

29. i.e, K is dependent on initial drug concentration.
2nd order graph
Units of K:
1/C = 1/Co + Kt
K = (1/C - 1/Co) / t
K = M-1. sec -1
i.e, K is dependent on initial drug concentration.
Half life: t1/2 = 1 / KCo
Shelf life: t0.9 = 0.11 / KCo