Intravaginal controlled administration of flurogestone acetate I: Development of a stability-indicating liquid chromatographic method and stability kinetics of flurogestone acetate.

Flurogestone acetate is a synthetic progestin useful for estrus synchronization in sheep. The estrus synchronization is achieved by inserting the drug-impregnated vaginal sponge in the sheep for up to 15 d, during which time flurogestone acetate is administered continuously by intravaginal absorption to suppress estrus and ovulation. The sponge is then withdrawn to regain estrus within 2-4 d. A review of the literature suggests that the analytical methods currently available are not specific, sensitive, and rapid enough. A stability-indicating high-performance liquid chromatographic method was developed, which is capable of characterizing the stability kinetics of flurogestone acetate under various environmental conditions and quantifying the release and absorption profiles of the drug from the vaginal sponges.