Quantitation of the enantiomers of rimantadine and its hydroxylated metabolites in human plasma by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry

A gas chromatographic/mass spectrometric procedure has been developed for the quantiation in human plasma of the enatiomers of rimanatadine and its three hydroxylated metabolites. The assay utilized derivatization of all analytes with the optically active reagent S-α-methyl-α-methoxy(pentafluorpheyl)acetic acid, selective ion monitoring, methane negative ion chemical ionization mass spectrometry and stable isotope dilution techniques. This method has been used to meausure plasma concentrations of the enantiomers of rimantadine, m-hydroxyrimantadine and p-hydroxyrimantadine (equatorial and axial epimers) in the ranges 2.5-250, 2.5-50, 1.25–62.5 and 1.25–62.5 ng/mL, respectively, in six subjects given a single 200 mg dose of racemic rimantadine. Although there are no significant differences in the concentration-time profiles of R- and S-rimantadine, large stereospecific differences in the disposition of their metabolites are observed.