Profiling the Isomerization of Biologically Relevant (E)-(Z) Isomers by Supercritical Fluid Chromatography (SFC)

In the past few decades, single enantiomers and stereoisomers have overtaken achiral molecules in the percentage of approved drugs in the market. Because isomers can have different biological/pharmacological/toxicological properties, authorities such as the European Pharmacopoeia and the FDA have asserted escalated emphasis on controlling isomer content in drug compounds and require that stereoisomers “be treated as separate drugs and developed accordingly” with rare exception. The separation and quantification of stereoisomers is therefore of great importance, especially when considering pharmaceutical compounds [1].