Empagliflozin is a medication used primarily for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. Like many pharmaceuticals, the manufacturing process of empagliflozin can result in the formation of impurities. These impurities can arise from various sources, including:

• Starting Materials: Impurities may originate from the raw materials used in the synthesis of empagliflozin.
  Intermediates: During the multi-step synthesis of empagliflozin, intermediate compounds may not fully react, leading to the presence of unwanted byproducts.
  
  
• Degradation Products: Empagliflozin can degrade over time or under certain conditions, leading to the formation of degradation impurities.
  
  
• Process-related Impurities: These are impurities that arise due to the specific chemical reactions or processes used during the manufacturing of empagliflozin. They can be related to catalysts, solvents, or reagents used in the synthesis.

The identification, quantification, and control of these impurities are critical to ensuring the safety and efficacy of the final pharmaceutical product. Regulatory agencies like the FDA or EMA have strict guidelines on acceptable levels of impurities in medications.

In the case of empagliflozin, impurity profiles are studied during the development process, and specific analytical methods (such as high-performance liquid chromatography, HPLC) are used to detect and quantify these impurities.