Wacker Specialties and Prokaria announced the signing of an R&D agreement in the field of chiral alcohols. Following initial collaboration between Wacker Specialties and Jülich Fine Chemicals (JFC) in 2003, the new agreement is a further step toward setting up a chiral alcohols competence center for the pharmaceutical industry. Chiral alcohols are highly valuable building blocks in the pharmaceutical industry. The growing demand for these building blocks is due to a strong shift in new drug substances towards chiral molecules. One of the most efficient ways to produce enantiomerically pure chiral alcohols is by stereospecific reduction of ketones via biocatalysis.
Under the terms of the agreement, Prokaria will commence a program to rationally select and develop novel biocatalysts for the synthesis of complex chiral alcohols. Designed to leverage Iceland’s rich biodiversity pool, the approach makes use of Prokaria’s exclusive rights to take commercial samples in most of Iceland’s geothermal areas. The third player in the team, Jülich Fine Chemicals (JFC), based in Jülich, Germany, will be involved in functional screening and evaluation work.
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