HPLC Bioassay of Elvitegravir using a Molecularly Imprinted Polymer Based Solid Phase Extraction in RAT Plasma: Application to Pharmacokinetic Studies

A water-compatible molecularly imprinted polymer ( MIP ) was prepared for specific extraction of HIV-1 integrase inhibitor elvitegravir ( EVG ). It was prepared by a non-covalent free radical polymerization process using methacrylic acid as a monomer and elvitegravir as a template molecule. The MIP based solid phase extraction ( MIP−SPE ) cartridge was constructed for specific extraction of EVG from rat plasma samples. The effect of porogenic solvents, cross linker, pH and monomer to template ratio were studied. The developed HPLC method was validated as per ICH guidelines. The recovery of EVG using MIP−SPE technique was 98%. The LOD and LOQ of EVG were 0.01 and 0.05 µg/mL, respectively. The established method may not only be used to determine EVG but also to study the pharmacokinetics in rat plasma samples.