Application note: Improving the efficiency of catalyst screening in drug substance development

Herewith ACD/Labs presents their web-based software solution to the multiple challenges experienced in screening workflows; offering effective support for high-throughput catalyst screening.

Catalyst screening is an important part of process route scouting in pharmaceutical drug substance development. Comprehensive catalyst screening provides breakthroughs in problematic synthetic conversions and leads to processes that are more efficient.

The challenges of catalyst screening

Chemistry that involves catalysts is highly specialised: catalysts are often air sensitive; reactions may be carried out under pressure, and are often conducted initially at small (μM) scale. Furthermore, synthetic target molecules in R&D are becoming more complex requiring complex synthetic routes. As a result, many organisations are investing in specialised catalysis groups to support screening activities.