Uploaded July 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
We had the pleasure of presenting at Exelixis Pharmaceuticals, thanks to the Analytical Chemistry group, on a topic of growing global concern: nitrosamine contamination in pharmaceuticals.
Alongside my colleague, Dr. Ryan Cheu, Director of Chemistry at Emery Pharma, we discussed the shifting landscape of nitrosamine risks—starting with two pivotal cases from 2018:
• Valsartan, where a change in the synthetic route led to contamination
• Zantac, which was later shown to degrade into NDMA under certain conditions
Our talk focused on several key areas:
• Risk analysis for volatile nitrosamines and nitrosamine drug substance-related impurities (NDSRIs)
• The role of CYP enzymes in the metabolic activation and carcinogenicity of nitrosamines
• Analytical strategies for detection, method validation, and quality control
• Root cause investigations and structural risk assessment approaches
The session brought together more than 60 scientists from Exelixis and led to a dynamic conversation about evolving regulatory expectations and industry best practices.
As regulatory scrutiny around nitrosamines continues to grow, it’s essential for drug developers to stay ahead—by proactively evaluating risk, developing robust analytical methods, and ensuring compliance through rigorous impurity profiling.
If you’re rethinking your nitrosamine strategy or seeking analytical and regulatory support, our team is here to help.
🎥 Watch a previous talk on the subject by Dr. Ron Najafi: youtu.be/KY1YdAIIGNQ
⸻
#Nitrosamines #PharmaceuticalTesting #RegulatoryCompliance #ExelixisPharmaceuticals #EmeryPharma #AnalyticalChemistry #MassSpectrometry #NDMA #CYP450
⸻
About Emery Pharma
Emery Pharma is a mission-driven contract research organization focused on advancing public and environmental health. We support every stage of pharmaceutical development—across small molecules, biologics, biosimilars, gene therapies, and botanicals.
Our core services include:
• Analytical and bioanalytical testing
• Microbiology and cell biology
• Impurity profiling
• Full-spectrum R&D support under cGMP/GLP standards
Our technologies include:
• High-resolution Orbitrap mass spectrometry
• Triple quadrupole LC-MS/MS
• GC-MS
• Semi-preparative HPLC
• 400 MHz multinuclear NMR
📧 info@emerypharma.com
🌐 emerypharma.com
We had the pleasure of presenting at Exelixis Pharmaceuticals, thanks to the Analytical Chemistry group, on a topic of growing global concern: nitrosamine contamination in pharmaceuticals.
Alongside my colleague, Dr. Ryan Cheu, Director of Chemistry at Emery Pharma, we discussed the shifting landscape of nitrosamine risks—starting with two pivotal cases from 2018:
• Valsartan, where a change in the synthetic route led to contamination
• Zantac, which was later shown to degrade into NDMA under certain conditions
Our talk focused on several key areas:
• Risk analysis for volatile nitrosamines and nitrosamine drug substance-related impurities (NDSRIs)
• The role of CYP enzymes in the metabolic activation and carcinogenicity of nitrosamines
• Analytical strategies for detection, method validation, and quality control
• Root cause investigations and structural risk assessment approaches
The session brought together more than 60 scientists from Exelixis and led to a dynamic conversation about evolving regulatory expectations and industry best practices.
As regulatory scrutiny around nitrosamines continues to grow, it’s essential for drug developers to stay ahead—by proactively evaluating risk, developing robust analytical methods, and ensuring compliance through rigorous impurity profiling.
If you’re rethinking your nitrosamine strategy or seeking analytical and regulatory support, our team is here to help.
🎥 Watch a previous talk on the subject by Dr. Ron Najafi: youtu.be/KY1YdAIIGNQ
⸻
#Nitrosamines #PharmaceuticalTesting #RegulatoryCompliance #ExelixisPharmaceuticals #EmeryPharma #AnalyticalChemistry #MassSpectrometry #NDMA #CYP450
⸻
About Emery Pharma
Emery Pharma is a mission-driven contract research organization focused on advancing public and environmental health. We support every stage of pharmaceutical development—across small molecules, biologics, biosimilars, gene therapies, and botanicals.
Our core services include:
• Analytical and bioanalytical testing
• Microbiology and cell biology
• Impurity profiling
• Full-spectrum R&D support under cGMP/GLP standards
Our technologies include:
• High-resolution Orbitrap mass spectrometry
• Triple quadrupole LC-MS/MS
• GC-MS
• Semi-preparative HPLC
• 400 MHz multinuclear NMR
📧 info@emerypharma.com
🌐 emerypharma.com
