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Diastereomeric Impurities

Meaning

Diastereomeric impurities are stereoisomers of an active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) that are non-superimposable and non-mirror images of the desired molecule. These impurities possess the same chemical formula but differ in the spatial arrangement of atoms, leading to distinct physical and, critically, biological properties. Their presence in compounded hormonal preparations or peptide therapeutics can introduce variability in efficacy and potentially lead to unforeseen side effects.