On the development of new biocatalytic processes for practical pharmaceutical synthesis

Biocatalysis has established itself as a scalable and green technology for the production of a broad range of pharmaceutical APIs and intermediates. The number and scope of biocatalysts employed on large scale to deliver cost-advantaged and quality-advantaged processes to important substances continue to expand. This review discusses the recent developments in the field, including examples of processes leveraging hydrolases, reductases, transaminases, oxidases and other biocatalysts, focused on the preparation of important investigational and launched therapeutics. Biocatalysts recently discovered, and in some cases rediscovered, for the interesting chemistry they enable are likely to further substantiate the expansion of the biocatalysis field.