Development and validation of a simple, sensitive, selective and stability-indicating RP-UPLC method for the quantitative determination of ritonavir and its related compounds.

A simple, sensitive, selective and reproducible stability-indicating ultra-performance liquid chromatographic method was developed for the quantitative determination of degradation products and process-related impurities of Ritonavir in a pharmaceutical dosage form. Chromatographic separation was achieved on a polar embedded Waters Acquity BEH Shield RP18 (100 × 2.1 mm, 1.7 μm) column thermostated at 50°C under gradient elution by using a binary mixture of potassium dihydrogen phosphate (0.01 M, pH 3.5) and acetonitrile at a flow rate of 0.5 mL/min. Chromatogram was monitored at 240 nm using a photodiode array detector. The drug and its related impurities are eluted within 20 min. To prove the stability-indicating power of the method, the drug was subjected to hydrolytic (acid, alkaline and water), oxidative, photolytic and thermal stress conditions. The unknown degradants were identified by the LC-MS-MS method, which revealed protonated molecular ion peaks [M + H](+) at m/z 551.40 for hydrolytic degradants, and m/z 737.60 and m/z 753.40 for photolytic degradants. A plausible mechanism for the formation of degradation and process impurities was proposed. The performance of the method was validated according to the International Conference on Harmonization guidelines.