Validated HPLC method for the determination of celecoxib in human serum and its application in a clinical pharmacokinetic study.

A simple high performance liquid chromatographic method using UV detection for the determination of celecoxib, a specific COX 2 inhibitor, in serum was developed. Serum samples containing the internal standard, tolbutamide, are eluted through a C18, Wakosil column. After extracting with dichloromethane, the eluent is monitored at 250 nm. The mobile phase comprised of 10 mM potassium dihydrogen ortho phosphate (pH 3.2) and acetonitrile (50:50 v/v) with a flow rate of 1 ml/min. Retention times of celecoxib and tolbutamide were 9.6 and 3.5 min, respectively. The mean absolute recovery value was about 70-80%, while the intra day and inter day coefficient of variation and percent error values of the assay method were less than 10%. The calibration curve was linear over a concentration range of 10-1000 ng/ml.