New nickel catalysis set to revolutionise pharma manufacturing
Pharmaceutical catalyst technology company Reaxa has launched a new nickel-based catalyst, which it claims offers a cleaner processing route for pharmaceutical manufacturers.
Pharmaceutical catalyst technology company Reaxa has launched a new nickel-based catalyst, which it claims offers a cleaner processing route for pharmaceutical manufacturers.
The Nickel EnCat aims to address an industry drive to find cheaper and cleaner alternatives to current nickel catalysts for pharmaceutical manufacture. The product, one of Reaxa's polymer -encapsulated catalysts, is an immobilised nickel catalysts that traps the metal catalyst species inside a porous polymer bead and prevents metal residues from contaminating products and waste stream. Processes using EnCat technology are designed to be simpler and cleaner than using Raney/sponge nickel products and can be re-used in multiple batches. This aims to drive down costs and lower metal consumption.
Currently increases in stainless steel demand has meant that nickel prices have undergone a surge with prices at $54/kg in 2007, compared to $8/kg in 2000. Despite an easing of the prices this year, demand has risen to find a cheaper and cleaner alternative for pharmaceutical manufacture.
"Nickel represents roughly 20% of the pharma hydrogenation catalyst market, for which Nickel EnCat is a promising alternative with major benefits," says Reaxa chief executive officer Dr Pete Jackson.
Trials are underway on the use of Nickel EnCat. The company hopes to deliver feedback on product optimisation in the next couple of months, but Reaxa are confident that the product will be available in the market place in the first half of 2009.
Speaking at the CPHi exhibition, Jackson said he believed this latest development in catalyst technologies represented the "newest thing to happen to nickel catalysis for 80 years. He added: ""We believe it [the Nicket EnCat] is an important addition to the industry and demonstrates real application in chemistry."
Last month, Reaxa and custom manufacturer RohnerChem announced a technology collaboration to progress the application of EnCat catalysts at production scale.