Photostability of Drugs and Drug Formulations

The combination of pharmaceuticals and light usually results in degradation processes, and sometimes it may be used for targeted delivery of drug molecules. Stabilization of photo-labile drug substances within formulations is a critical aspect to control directly impacting the quality of the product. This is an authoritative reference on the methods for screening photo-reactivity, Photostability testing of drugs and problems associated with the formulation of photo-labile substances. Technical requirements and equipment for photochemical stability and testing have been outlined in the book as well as inconsistencies and deficiencies which exist in the current official regulations concerning the photolytic degradation of drugs. The subject is covered from a unique pharmaceutical formulation viewpoint, which will be extremely useful to pharmaceutical manufacturers and developers worldwide.

About the Author – Hanne Hjorth Tønnesen is Professor in Pharmaceutics at the University of Oslo, Norway and has particular research interests in photochemical stability and photoreactivity testing of pharmaceuticals.
Contents

Photostability of Drugs and Drug Formulations, 2nd Edition

Ch. 1 Introduction : Photostability testing of drugs and drug formulations - why and how?
Ch. 2 Photophysical and photochemical aspects of drug stability
Ch. 3 Standardization of kinetic studies of photodegradation reactions
Ch. 4 Rationalizing the photochemistry of drugs
Ch. 5 Technical requirements and equipment for photostability testing
Ch. 6 Photostability testing : design and interpretation of tests on new drug substances and dosage forms
Ch. 7 The questions most frequently asked
Ch. 8 Inconsistencies and deficiencies in current official regulations concerning photolytic degradation of drugs
Ch. 9 Biological effects of combinations of drugs and light
Ch. 10 In vitro screening of the photoreactivity of antimalarials : a test case
Ch. 11 Screening dyes, drugs, and dietary supplements for ocular phototoxicity
Ch. 12 Photochemical and photophysical methods used in study of drug photoreactivity
Ch. 13 Addressing the problem of light instability during formulation development
Ch. 14 Photostability of parenteral products
Ch. 15 Photoactivated drugs and drug formulations
Ch. 16 Formulation approaches for improving solubility and its impact on drug photostability
App. 1 Useful terms and expressions in the photoreactivity testing of drugs
App. 2 Relevant literature on the photostability of specific drug substances and drug formulations