In API synthesis and pharmaceutical manufacturing, removing persistent, structurally related impurities remains a critical challenge. Traditional chemical purification steps occasionally lack the necessary selectivity, leading to significant product loss and high overhead in downstream processing (DSP). For the modern chemist, shifting from harsh, non-specific chemical reagents to targeted biocatalytic strategies is smart way to streamline purification workflows and improve overall atom economy.

Enzymatic processing aids offer a highly selective alternative to conventional chemical mitigation. By utilizing the inherent specificity of biocatalysts, chemists can target and degrade problematic side- products under mild conditions, without damaging the valuable API. This approach preserves your target yield and drastically simplifies product isolation, turning complex downstream hurdles into processes that are not only more efficient but also substantially cheaper.

We recently collaborated with a pharmaceutical client to address challenging impurity causing significant product loss for a ton-scale API:

• Application of Aminoverse’s Unspecific Peroxygenase (UPO) panel to screen for enzymes
capable of selective C–H oxyfunctionalization of the contaminants
• Oxidation facilitated removal of the side-product with high specificity, protecting yield and
significantly streamlining the DSP workflow
• Patent filing of impurity removal process