Development of a Validated Stability Indicating Rp-Hplc Method for the Estimation of Pirfenidone in Bulk Drug and Tablet Dosage form

Objective: The present work focused on developing a validated stability indicating RP-HPLC method for the estimation of pirfenidone in bulk drug and tablet dosage form.

Methods: The chromatographic separation was performed on symmetry C18 (150 mm x 4.6, 5 micron) with a 1 ml/min flow rate at 315nm. The mobile phase employed was orthophosphoric acid buffer: acetonitrile (65:35). Column temperature was maintained at 30ºC. Pirfenidone was subjected to different forced degradation conditions according to ICH guidelines, including acid, base and neutral hydrolysis, oxidation, photolysis and thermal degradation.

Results: In alkali, acidic, oxidation and UV degradation conditions the drug shows considerable degradation. Pirfenidone was stable under neutral hydrolysis and thermal degradation. Pirfenidone was stable under extreme degradation conditions showing less than 8% of degradation in all degradation conditions. This result showed that pirfenidone was stable under stress degradation. Then the optimized method was validated for the parameters like linearity, accuracy, precision and robustness as per ICH guidelines.