The continuous tightening of pharmaceutical regulations forces drug manufacturers to unambiguously characterize the substances related to the active pharmaceutical ingredients (API). Here, we report the synthesis, complete spectroscopic, chromatographic, thermal and computational characterization, as well as in silico prediction of bacterial mutagenicity for two previously reported but never fully characterized impurities of methimazole. Additionally, their structures were analyzed by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. 1-Methyl-(2-methylthio)-1H-imidazole also known as methimazole impurity C, was obtained mainly in the form of the iodide salt (C₅H₉IN₂S) crystallizing in monoclinic space group P2₁/c. The disulfide (2,2′-disulphanylbis(1-methyl-1H-imidazole)), C₈H₁₀N₄S₂) was obtained in yellow form crystallizing in the monoclinic C2/c space group.

The spontaneous S-alkylation of the thyreostatic drug methimazole (1-methyl-1,3-dihydro-1H-imidazole-2-thione, 1) with 1,2-dichloroethane at room temperature, in dark or light conditions, led to the formation of its related substance 1,2-bis[(1-methyl-1H-imidazole-2-yl)thio]ethane, C₁₀H₁₄N₄S₂ (2a), primarily isolated in the form of dihydrochloride tetrahydrate [C₁₀H₁₆N₄S₂]Cl₂·4(H₂O) (2b), which crystallized in the monoclinic P2₁/c space group. Neutralization of 2b, followed by crystallization from the acetone/water mixture, produced dihydrate C₁₀H₁₄N₄S₂·2(H₂O) (2c), which crystallized in the trigonal R-3 space group. Six water molecules in 2c are H-bonded mutually and to the nitrogen atoms of six molecules of 2a. DSC and TGA showed that 2c melts at 65 °C and loses water up to 120 °C. By cooling to room temperature, anhydrous 2a was obtained. Single crystals of 2a that are suitable for X-ray structure analysis were obtained by neutralization of 2b, followed by crystallization from dry dichloromethane. Anhydrous 2a crystallizes in the monoclinic P2₁/c space group. The dehydration of 2c led to the formation of the anhydrous product 2a, which is identical to the one obtained by crystallization, as was found by complementary solid-state techniques. No intermediate monohydrate or hemihydrate phases were detected. Powder diffraction showed the same pattern of 2c via both preparation procedures. The structures of all the forms were elucidated by spectroscopy, microscopy and thermal methods and confirmed by single crystal X-ray analysis.

Spontaneous S-alkylation of methimazole (1) with 1,2-dichloroethane (DCE) into 1,2-bis[(1-methyl-1H-imidazole-2-yl)thio]ethane (2), that we have described recently, opened the question about its formation pathway(s). Results of the synthetic, NMR spectroscopic, crystallographic and computational studies suggest that, under given conditions, 2 is obtained by direct attack of 1 on the chloroethyl derivative 2-[(chloroethyl)thio]-1-methyl-1H-imidazole (3), rather than through the isolated stable thiiranium ion isomer, i.e., 7-methyl-2H, 3H, 7H-imidazo[2,1-b]thiazol-4-ium chloride (4a, orthorhombic, space group Pnma), or in analogy with similar reactions, through postulated, but unproven intermediate thiiranium ion 5. Furthermore, in the reaction with 1, 4a prefers isomerization to the N-chloroethyl derivative, 1-chloroethyl-2,3-dihydro-3-methyl-1H-imidazole-2-thione (7), rather than alkylation to 2, while 7 further reacts with 1 to form 3-methyl-1-[(1-methyl-imidazole-2-yl)thioethyl]-1H-imidazole-2-thione (8, monoclinic, space group P 2₁/c). Additionally, during the isomerization of 3, the postulated intermediate thiiranium ion 5 was not detected by chromatographic and spectroscopic methods, nor by trapping with AgBF₄. However, trapping resulted in the formation of the silver complex of compound 3, i.e., bis-{2-[(chloroethyl)thio]-1-methyl-1H-imidazole}-silver(I)tetrafluoroborate (6_, monoclinic, space group P 2₁/c), which cyclized upon heating at 80 °C to 7-methyl-2H, 3H, 7H-imidazo[2,1-b]thiazol-4-ium tetrafluoroborate (4b, monoclinic, space group P 2₁/c). Finally, we observed thermal isomerization of both 2 and 2,3-dihydro-3-methyl-1-[(1-methyl-1H-imidazole-2-yl)thioethyl]-1H-imidazole-2-thione (8), into 1,2-bis(2,3-dihydro-3-methyl-1H-imidazole-2-thione-1-yl)ethane (9), which confirmed their structures.

Background/Objectives: Lifitegrast is a recent therapeutic agent provoking scientific and regulatory interest due to its outstanding safety profile and high efficacy in the treatment of dry eye disease. Methods: Herein we employ NMR spectroscopy and mass spectrometry to investigate the weak spots of lifitegrast under standard to extreme stress conditions, resulting in the characterization of three known and nine new degradation products (of which DP7 presented the greatest structural challenge, but was eventually determined as C10 hydroxy derivative, warranting a revision of its previously suggested structure). Results: The first weak spot is identified as a N1–C40 amide bond, and its high susceptibility to hydrolysis is explained through computational DFT analysis. The second and third weak spots are elucidated through bond dissociation energy (BDE) calculations which highlighted the oxidative vulnerabilities of both the piperidine and benzofuran ring. Conclusions: Additionally, two degradation products, observed in initial, extended, and targeted oxidative forced degradation studies, were selected for in silico toxicity assessment and were predicted to have toxicity profiles comparable to or lower than lifitegrast.