Clopidogrel IR Pellets are pharmaceutical-grade immediate-release multiparticulate pellets containing clopidogrel as the active pharmaceutical ingredient. These pellets are designed for oral formulation applications where an immediate-release pellet format is required for capsule filling, multiparticulate formulation development and other solid oral dosage applications.
Clopidogrel is commonly supplied as Clopidogrel Bisulfate, with CAS Number 120202-66-6, molecular formula C₁₆H₁₆ClNO₂S·H₂SO₄ and molecular weight 419.90 g/mol. The USP definition for Clopidogrel Bisulfate specifies 97.0% to 101.5% on a dried basis for the active pharmaceutical ingredient. This API specification should not be confused with the assay/loading of the finished pellets.
Clopidogrel IR Pellets are available commercially in different active loading levels. Published pharmaceutical pellet portfolios document 50% w/w as a commonly available strength, while other commercial portfolios report additional loadings.
For the SDP product page, the finished-pellet strength should be stated only according to the applicable SDP product specification or COA. If the SDP product is the commonly listed 50% w/w presentation, it can be displayed as Clopidogrel IR Pellets 50% w/w.
Clopidogrel IR Pellets provide a multiparticulate format that can support formulation flexibility. Compared with a conventional single-unit dosage form, pellet systems allow the active ingredient to be distributed among multiple individual particles. The pellets can be used for capsule-filling applications and can also be incorporated into other multiparticulate formulation approaches.
Important finished-product characteristics can include active ingredient loading, particle-size distribution, bulk density, tapped density, moisture, friability, pellet morphology, content uniformity and immediate-release dissolution performance.
The final specifications should be established specifically for the finished Clopidogrel IR Pellets. API specifications such as the USP assay of 97.0–101.5% should not be copied directly into the finished-pellet specification because the pellet contains the active ingredient together with pellet excipients and processing materials.
Clopidogrel IR Pellets can be considered for:
The finished Clopidogrel IR Pellet system can be evaluated for:
| Parameter | Specification |
|---|---|
| Appearance | white to off-white crystalline powder |
| Identification | IR & HPLC compliant |
| Assay (HPLC) | 98.0% – 102.0% |
| Loss on Drying | NMT 1.0% |
| Residue on Ignition | NMT 0.1% |
| Individual Impurity | NMT 0.5% |
| Water Content | NMT 1.0% |