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New findings on degradation of famotidine under basic conditions: Identification of a hitherto unknown degradation product and the condition for obtaining the propionamide intermediate in pure form

✍ Scribed by Saranjit Singh; Sanjeev Kumar; Nishi Sharda; Asit K. Chakraborti


Publisher
John Wiley and Sons
Year
2002
Tongue
English
Weight
104 KB
Volume
91
Category
Article
ISSN
0022-3549

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✦ Synopsis


The degradation behavior of famotidine (1) was investigated in 25% ammonia solution and in 2 M NaOH. The hydrolysis of the drug in ammonia resulted in separation of [3-[[2-[(diaminomethylene)amino]-4-thiazolyl]methyl]thio]propionamide (3), an impurity listed in British Pharmacopoeia. The treatment with 2 M NaOH resulted in formation of [3-[[[2-[(diaminomethylene)amino]-4-thiazolyl]methyl]thio]propionyl]sulfamide (2) and 3. These products further decomposed to [3-[[2-[(diaminomethylene)amino]-4-thiazolyl]methyl]thio]propionic acid (4) and a heretofore unknown product, 5. The latter separated out in the reaction mixture as brown shiny crystals. Proton and carbon-13 nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, and elemental analysis of the charcoal-treated product established the structure. The formation of 5 is postulated to involve abstraction of a proton from the a-carbon of intermediates 2 and 3 followed by elimination of the thiol moiety.