COMPARISON BETWEEN DIFFERENT COMERICAL BRANDS OF MELOXICAM AND THEIR DEGRADATIONS AVAILABLE IN ZAWIA PHARMACIES, LIBYA

Abstract

Meloxicam is an enolic acid derivative, which is the most important of the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID). The objective of this work was to measure the absorbance of commercial meloxicam brands and their percentage of degradations under different conditions, as defined under the International Conference on Harmonization (ICH) guideline by using a spectrophotometer. The degradation behaviour of meloxicam was studied by subjecting the different brands of meloxicam to hydrolytic (acidic and basic), photolytic (Ultraviolet) and thermal stress. The collected data helped to identify the degradation products of the drug. The results showed a different pattern of degradation in all cases.