Maxim Churkin, a postgraduate student at the Institute of Chemistry and Chemical-Pharmaceutical Technologies specializing in organic chemistry, has devised a method to reduce the side effects of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), particularly ibuprofen and ketoprofen.
His research, titled "Physicochemical Foundations of the Processes for Obtaining Enantiomerically Pure Pharmaceutical Substances of Ibuprofen and Ketoprofen by Supercritical Fluid Chromatography," reached the finals of the prestigious "Science of the Future – Science of the Young" competition.
"Most NSAIDs are racemic mixtures (a mixture of two substances) of enantiomers, where only one exhibits the desired physiological activity, while the other acts as an inert substance or causes adverse effects such as nausea, dyspepsia, gastrointestinal disorders, headaches, and rashes. By separating these enantiomers, it becomes possible to reduce the drug dosage during production and eliminate the risk of side effects, ” explained Maxim Churkin.
According to the young scientist, laboratory methods exist for separating these substances, but they are not used in industrial pharmaceutical production for economic reasons.
"Chromatography is a technique for separating mixtures of chemical compounds. Specifically, our method – supercritical fluid chromatography – uses carbon dioxide as the main component of the flow. This gas is inexpensive, readily available, and environmentally friendly. By loading a racemic mixture, such as ibuprofen, into the apparatus, we can separate the substances. This allows us to isolate a pure compound that remains effective while minimizing negative effects on the body. There are chromatographs capable of performing these separations on an industrial scale," explains Maxim.
As Maxim Churkin points out, only a few laboratories in Russia specialize in supercritical fluid chromatography located in Moscow, Rostov, and Barnaul at Altai State University. To date, this method has not been applied to NSAIDs in Russia; while, Maxim and his scientific supervisor, Doctor of Chemical Sciences and Altai State University professor Natalia Bazarnova, have already achieved results.
"Our research consists of two main stages. The first involves developing the method, and the second focuses on testing and refining it. Once its effectiveness is confirmed, we will be able to recommend the purified substances to colleagues for preclinical studies," Maxim concluded.