UK firm advances drug manufacture technology

Huddersfield, UK -- Huddersfield-based NPIL Pharma is developing technology that has the potential to bring greater productivity and lower costs to 20% of manufactured drugs. Other benefits include the elimination of toxicity dangers and more environmentally friendly processes.

The drugs that will benefit from the technology are those incorporating chiral amines. These are made by a resolution technique that produces separate isomers of the same chemical structure that are the mirror image of each other. This means that 50% of output has to be separated and wasted to avoid the drug being clinically ineffective and possibly toxic.

NPIL has developed catalysts that turn the previously unwanted isomer into the required structure. It terms its process SCRAM.

To commercialise the technology NPIL is undertaking an 18-month, £1 million development programme. Regional development agency Yorkshire Forward is providing half the funding.

Two key aspects of the work, according to technical director John Blacker, are further research into the catalysts and development of a continuous production process. “SCRAM has much potential for higher efficiency and waste reduction within pharmaceutical production,” he says.