Quantification of vosaroxin and its metabolites N-desmethylvosaroxin and O-desmethylvosaroxin in human plasma and urine using high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry

• These are the first reported validated assays for vosaroxin in plasma and urine.
• N-desmethylvosaroxin was included in the quantification of plasma and urine.
• O-desmethylvosaroxin was included in the quantification of plasma and urine.

Vosaroxin is a first-in-class anticancer quinolone derivative topoisomerase II inhibitor that is currently in development in combination with cytarabine for the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML). To investigate vosaroxin pharmacokinetics (PK) in patients, liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) assays to quantify vosaroxin and the two metabolites N-desmethylvosaroxin and O-desmethylvosaroxin in human plasma and urine were developed and validated.Immediately after collection the samples were stored at −80 °C. Prior to analysis, the plasma samples were subjected to protein precipitation and the urine samples were diluted. For both assays the reconstituted extracts were injected on a Symmetry Shield RP8 column and gradient elution was applied using 0.1% formic acid in water and acetonitrile-methanol (50:50, v/v). Analyses were performed with a triple quadruple mass spectrometer in positive-ion mode. A deuterated isotope of vosaroxin was used as internal standard for the quantification.The validated assays quantify vosaroxin and N-desmethylvosaroxin in the concentration range of 2–500 ng/mL in plasma and urine. For O-desmethylvosaroxin the concentration range of 4–500 ng/mL in plasma and urine was validated. Dilution integrity experiments show that samples can be diluted 25 fold in control matrix prior to analysis. The expanded concentration range for plasma and urine for vosaroxin and N-desmethylvosaroxin is therefore from 2 to 15,000 ng/mL and in plasma for O-desmethylvosaroxin from 4 to 15,000 ng/mL.