High-performance liquid chromatographic analysis of the anti-fungal agent SCH 56592 in dog serum

SCH 56592 is a novel triazole antifungal agent that is active both orally and intravenously. This compound is in phase II-III clinical trials for the treatment of systemic fungal infections. A high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) method was developed for the analysis of SCH 56592 in serum of dogs, a species used for safety evaluation. The HPLC analysis involved protein precipitation with methanol followed by separation on a C18 column and quantitation by UV absorbance at 262 nm. The method was sensitive with a limit of quantification of 0.05 microg/ml in dog serum. The linearity was satisfactory as indicated by correlations of >0.996, in addition to visual examination of the calibration curves. The precision and accuracy were satisfactory as indicated by coefficients of variation (C.V.) ranging from 2.0 to 3.8%, and bias values ranging from -6.5 to 10%. Moreover, SCH 56592 was stable in dog serum after being subjected to three freeze-thaw cycles. The assay was shown to be sensitive, specific, accurate, precise, and reliable for use in pharmacokinetic or toxicokinetic studies.