SAFC to offer integrated catalysis services in deal with CatSci
The collaboration with UK-based catalysis firm CatScI will allow customers of contract manufacturer SAFC access to new reactions, homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis, biocatalysts, solvent selection and process development in what will be a seamless operation.
“With the constant issue of cost of goods, catalysis offers great opportunities to improve synthetic routes to intermediates and APIs,” CatScI’s Commercial Director Dr. Simon Tyler told this publication.
He added both economic and environmental sustainability (‘green’ chemistry) are high on the agenda for drugmakers and over the last few years there has become “more focus on the ‘triple bottom line’, particularly the cost of goods.”
CatScI was formed as a spinout of AstraZeneca’s R&D division in 2010 and offers a range of chemistry R&D activities from its laboratories in Cardiff, Wales, to a number of clients, including its former parent company.
“The combination of our technology, approach, people and laboratory is unique,” Tyler said. “We use our capabilities in synthetic chemistry combined with computational and statistical tools and a bespoke automation platform to deliver fundamental reaction understanding.
“This forms the basis for development and optimisation of processes from laboratory scale to commercial manufacturing.”
With this deal, CatScI’s “differentiation of technologies & services” will strengthen SAFC’s position, he added, offering its clients a single source for R&D, scale-up, and manufacture.
According to SAFC, around 90 percent of chemicals require the use of catalytic processes in their manufacture, on average require twelve synthetic steps - a number which is growing as chemical targets become more and more complex.
