Abstract
Acetonitrile is widely used as a solvent in synthesizing various fluorine-18 positron emission tomography (PET) radiotracers. Acetonitrile is classified as a Class II residual solvent, and due to its inherent toxic properties, the quantity of residual acetonitrile in drug products has to be limited. When working under Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) during the radiosynthesis of a radiotracer, the aim is to control all solvent concentrations contained in the ready-to-use product. All products must meet predetermined specifications. Rarely, these limits may be exceeded. To avoid eliminating the entire batch, applying a straightforward time-based technique would be desirable to allow the majority of the product to be safely used. This technique should be based on determining a specific time and volume for which the radiotracer can be utilized in the patients after completing quality control analysis. Here, we report a very simple Excel sheet program based on existing mathematical equations that calculates the exact time and volume at which the radiotracer product can be safely administered to a patient.
Acknowledgments
The author thanks King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre (KFSH&RC) (RAC # 2130 022) and to Mohammad Shoaib Shawoo for his technical assistance.
-
Research ethics: Not applicable.
-
Author contributions: The author has accepted responsibility for the entire content of this manuscript and approved its submission.
-
Competing interests: The author state no conflict of interest.
-
Research funding: None declared.
-
Data availability: Not applicable.
References
1. Frey Frey, K. A., Royal, H. D., Di Carli, M. F., Dillehay, G. L., Gordon, L., Mankoff, D. A., O’Malley, J., Ramanna, L., Rohren, E., Segall, G. M., Shulkin, B. L., Wallis, J. W., Ziessman, H. A. ABNM position statement: nuclear medicine professional competency and scope of practice. J. Nucl. Med. 2011, 52, 994–997; https://doi.org/10.2967/jnumed.111.089979.Search in Google Scholar PubMed
2. Mankoff, D. A. A definition of molecular imaging. J. Nucl. Med. 2007, 48, 18N–21N.Search in Google Scholar
3. Vallabhajosula, S., Solnes, L., Vallabhajosula, B. A broad overview of positron emission tomography radiopharmaceuticals and clinical applications: what is new? Semin. Nucl. Med. 2011, 41, 246–264; https://doi.org/10.1053/j.semnuclmed.2011.02.003.Search in Google Scholar PubMed
4. Rice, S. L., Roney, C. A., Daumar, P., Lewis, J. S. The next generation of positron emission tomography radiopharmaceuticals in oncology. Semin. Nucl. Med. 2011, 41, 265–282; https://doi.org/10.1053/j.semnuclmed.2011.02.002.Search in Google Scholar PubMed PubMed Central
5. Schlyer, D. J. PET tracers and radiochemistry. Ann. Acad. Med. Singapore 2004, 33, 146–154; https://doi.org/10.47102/annals-acadmedsg.v33n2p146.Search in Google Scholar
6. Gatley, S. J. Labeled glucose analogs in the genomic era. J. Nucl. Med. 2003, 44, 1082–1086.Search in Google Scholar
7. Sharma, S., Krause, G., Ebadi, M. Radiation safety and quality control in the cyclotron laboratory. Radiat. Protect. Dosim. 2006, 118, 431–439; https://doi.org/10.1093/rpd/nci379.Search in Google Scholar PubMed
8. Fowler, J. S., Ido, T. Initial and subsequent approach for the synthesis of 18FDG. Semin. Nucl. Med. 2002, 32, 6–12; https://doi.org/10.1053/snuc.2002.29270.Search in Google Scholar PubMed
9. Nakao, R., Kida, T., Suzuki, K. Factors affecting quality control of [18F]FDG injection: bacterial endotoxins test, aluminum ions test and HPLC analysis for FDG and ClDG. Appl. Radiat. Isot. 2005, 62, 889–895; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apradiso.2004.11.004.Search in Google Scholar PubMed
10. Dantas, N. M., Nascimento, J. E., Santos-Magalhães, N. S., Oliveira, M. L. Radiolysis of 2-[18F]fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose ([18F]FDG) and the role of EtOH, radioactive concentration and temperature of storage. Appl. Radiat. Isot. 2013, 72, 158–162; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apradiso.2012.10.017.Search in Google Scholar PubMed
11. ICH Q3C(R%). Impurities: guidelines for residual solvents, 2016. www.ich.org/fileadmin/Public_Web_Site/ICH_Products/Guidelines/Quality/Q3C/Q3C__R6___Step_4.pdf.Search in Google Scholar
12. United States Pharmacopeia. Fludeoxyglucose F-18 injection. In The United States Pharmacopeia, 30th ed., and The National Formulary, 25th ed.; United States Pharmacopeial Convention, Inc.: Rockville, MD, 2007; p. 2158.Search in Google Scholar
13. Channing, M. A., Huang, B. X., Eckelman, W. C. Analysis of residual solvents in 2-[18F]FDG by GC. Nucl. Med. Biol. 2001, 28, 469–471; https://doi.org/10.1016/s0969-8051(00)00213-4.Search in Google Scholar PubMed
14. Hung, J. Comparison of various requirements of the quality assurance procedures for [18F]FDG injection. J. Nucl. Med. 2002, 43, 1495–1506.Search in Google Scholar
15. Kilian, K., Chabecki, B., Kiec, J., Kunka, A., Panas, B., Wójcik, M., Pekal, A. Synthesis, quality control and determination of metallic impurities in [18F]Fludeoxyglucose production process. Rep. Practical Oncol. Radiother. 2014, 19, 22–31; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rpor.2014.03.001.Search in Google Scholar PubMed PubMed Central
16. Kilian, K., Pekal, A., Szkutnik, W., Pyrzyńska, K. A fast method for the determination of residual solvents in [18F]FDG and 11C-methionine samples. Microchem. J. 2014, 115, 95–99; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.microc.2014.02.013.Search in Google Scholar
17. Mihon, M., Tuta, C., Leonte, R., Ion, A. C., Lavric, V., Niculae, D. An Improved methodology for determination of radiochemical and chemical impurities in the synthesis process of [18F]FDG (2-[18F]fluoro-2–2deoxy-D-glucose). Environ. Eng. Manag. J. 2015, 14, 289–296; https://doi.org/10.30638/eemj.2015.028.Search in Google Scholar
18. Rocheleau, M.-J., Titley, M., Bolduc, J. Measuring residual solvents in pharmaceutical samples using fast gas chromatography techniques. J. Chromatogr. B 2004, 805, 77–86; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jchromb.2004.02.018.Search in Google Scholar PubMed
19. Kapil, M., Lata, S. A review: residual solvents and various effective gas chromatographic techniques in the analysis of residual solvent. Int. J. Pharma Res. Rev. 2013, 2, 25–40.Search in Google Scholar
20. Tankiewicz, M., Namiesnik, J., Sawicki, W. Analytical procedures for quality control of pharmaceuticals in terms of residual solvents CONTENT: challenges and recent developments. Trends Anal. Chem. 2016, 80, 328–344; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trac.2015.09.008.Search in Google Scholar
21. Koziorowski, J. A. Simple method for the quality control of [18F]FDG. Appl. Radiat. Isot. 2010, 68, 1740–1742; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apradiso.2010.03.006.Search in Google Scholar PubMed
22. Lins, C. L. R., Cassia, D. E. S. N. N., Alves, P. S., Eudes, D. N. J., Liane, D. O. M. Assessment of ethanol and acetonitrile in [18F]FDG preparations by means of liquid chromatography. J. Liq. Chromatogr. Relat. Technol. 2018, 41, 122–128; https://doi.org/10.1080/10826076.2018.1426598.Search in Google Scholar
23. United States Pharmacopeia. Chapter 467, “Residual Solvents”; United States Pharmacopoeia (USP) 38, 2015; pp. 309–321.Search in Google Scholar
24. United States, Pharmacopeia. Official Monograph, “Fludeoxyglucose F-18 Injection”; USP 38, 2015; pp. 3544–3546.Search in Google Scholar
25. European Pharmacopoeia (EP). Chapter 5.4, “Residual Solvents”; European Pharmacopoeia (Ph. Eur.) 8.0, 2014; pp. 639–648.Search in Google Scholar
26. European Pharmacopoeia (EP). Official Monograph, “Fludeoxyglucose F-18 Injection. Ph. Eur. 2014, 8, 1052–1054.Search in Google Scholar
27. Hung Joseph, C. Comparison of various requirements of the quality assurance procedures for [18F]FDG injection. J. Nucl. Med. 2002, 43, 1495–1506.Search in Google Scholar
28. Balaram, V. Recent advances in the determination of elemental impurities in pharmaceuticals – status, challenges and moving frontiers. Trends Anal. Chem. 2016, 80, 83–95; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trac.2016.02.001.Search in Google Scholar
29. APhA-APPM, Mahoney, D. W., McGough, C. G. Alternative Radiochemical Purity Testing Procedures for the Compounded Radiopharmaceuticals Approved from 1988; APhA: Washington, DC, 1998.Search in Google Scholar
30. Mahoney, WD, McGough, GC, The American Pharmaceutical Association – Academy of Pharmacy Practice and Management (APhA-APPM). Alternative Radiochemical Purity Testing Procedures for the Compounded Radiopharmaceuticals Approved from 1988–1997; The American Pharmaceutical Association – Academy of Pharmacy Practice and Management (APhA-APPM): Washington, DC, 1998, 1998.Search in Google Scholar
© 2023 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston
Articles in the same Issue
- Frontmatter
- Original Papers
- Morphology of uranium oxides reduced from magnesium and sodium diuranate
- HR GRS-HPGe as NDT method for quantification of uranium and 235U content in process stream samples from UO2 fuel production facilities
- Recycling waste polymer packaging materials as effective active carbon porous materials for uranium removal from commercial phosphoric acid
- Overcoming the obstacle of excess acetonitrile content in the final fluorine-18 radiotracers
- Radioactivity of 226Ra, 232Th and 40K in soil in Northwest part of Turkey: assessment of radiological impacts
- Determination of natural radionuclides and heavy metal concentrations in the groundwater and adjacent areas of the Kattakurgan reservoir, Uzbekistan
- Obituary
- Obituary: Jae-Il Kim (1936–2023)
Articles in the same Issue
- Frontmatter
- Original Papers
- Morphology of uranium oxides reduced from magnesium and sodium diuranate
- HR GRS-HPGe as NDT method for quantification of uranium and 235U content in process stream samples from UO2 fuel production facilities
- Recycling waste polymer packaging materials as effective active carbon porous materials for uranium removal from commercial phosphoric acid
- Overcoming the obstacle of excess acetonitrile content in the final fluorine-18 radiotracers
- Radioactivity of 226Ra, 232Th and 40K in soil in Northwest part of Turkey: assessment of radiological impacts
- Determination of natural radionuclides and heavy metal concentrations in the groundwater and adjacent areas of the Kattakurgan reservoir, Uzbekistan
- Obituary
- Obituary: Jae-Il Kim (1936–2023)