Beta lactam derivatives exhibit a range of bioactivities, including anti-angiogenic, anti-tumour, anti-malarial, anti-inflammatory and analgesic, anti-tubercular, anti-glaucoma, anti-HIV, cytotoxic and antimicrobial properties. The synthesis of metal complexes of lactam derivatives had received much attention due to the fact that they are among the first effective chemotherapeutic agents to be employed for the prevention and cure of bacterial infection in humans. The pharmacological activity of these types of molecules is often enhanced by complexation with metal ions.Certain theories had been advanced advocating that a major portion of drug action occurred through complexation. The importance of metal ions in biological systems is well known. One of the most interesting features of metal coordinated systems is the concerted spatial arrangement of the ligands around the metal atom.

A stability indicating RP-HPLC method was developed and validated for the determination of Gemifloxacin in tablet formulation. The drug was subjected to forced degradation study in terms of acidic, thermal, oxidative, photo and basic stresses. Degradation products produced as a result of stress testing were successfully separated through C18 column (250 x 4.6 mm, 5 m) using ammonium acetate buffer (pH 2.7; 0.05 M) and acetonitrile (70:30, v/v) as a mobile phase at a flow rate of 0.7 mL/min. The diode array detection was performed at 272 nm. The method was linear over the concentration range of 0.256-128 g/mL with correlation coefficient equal to 0.9990. The LOD and LOQ were 10 ng/mL and 30 ng/mL respectively. The proposed method was validated according to ICH guidelines. The method showed adequate separation of Gemifloxacin from its stress induced degradation products and excipients with resolution greater than 1.5 within 11 minutes. The method is therefore considered as stability indicating, rapid and suitable for the chromatographic purity and assay determination of Gemifloxacin not only in routine quality control analysis but also for stability studies.