Development and validation of a UPLC–MS/MS method for simultaneous determination of fotagliptin and its two major metabolites in human plasma and urine

Abstract Aim: Fotagliptin is a novel dipeptidyl peptidase IV inhibitor under clinical development for the treatment of Type II diabetes mellitus. The objective of this study was to develop and validate a specific and sensitive ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC)–MS/MS method for simultaneous determination of fotagliptin and its two major metabolites in human plasma and urine. Methodology & results: After being pretreated using an automatized procedure, the plasma and urine samples were separated and detected using a UPLC-ESI–MS/MS method, which was validated following the international guidelines. Conclusion: A selective and sensitive UPLC–MS/MS method was first developed and validated for quantifying fotagliptin...