Manufacturing Oxidative Products (MOP)

Almac Sciences is the chemistry business of the Almac Group, a Global Pharmaceutical Service Organisation headquartered in Northern Ireland, UK. Almac Sciences is a contract development and manufacturing organisation (CDMO) producing active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and other finished healthcare products. Almac Sciences specialist expertise extends well beyond traditional chemistry and includes dedicated groups focused on biocatalysis and flow chemistry. Manufacturing Oxidative Products (**MOPs**) is a critical technology platform for the fine chemical and pharmaceutical industries in the UK to access oxidative products in a sustainable, environmentally cognisant, cost effective and safe way. **MOPs** will pave the way forward for the UK chemical industry for the growth of manufacturing of key advanced raw materials, alleviating the reliance on (for example) China and India for supply of these crucial materials. The technology platform is comprised of two strands including (1) the use of innovative flow chemistry, where safe control of materials allows products to be oxidatively manufactured in a pipe as a continuous stream rather than a batch reactor and (2) the application of enzymes for the mild and selective oxidation of materials with all of the desired environmental credentials required by recent legislation. Enzyme catalysis enables the elimination of toxic metal catalysts and reactions may be performed in water rather than solvents. Both flow chemistry and biocatalysis will be investigated for the synthesis of key advanced oxidative products. The aim is to equal or better existing chemical routes in terms of cost and to develop processes that may use waste biomass for catalyst production and that generate less corrosive waste. All of which can only have a positive impact on our environment and lead to a more sustainable future for the industry, as well as focussing on the safety and well-being of the operatives involved in the manufacturing processes. **MOPs** will also help to alleviate supply issues related to geography. Security of supply for advanced raw materials is becoming critical to Almac Sciences and to their customers. The covid-19 pandemic has further highlighted this with significant supply issues from overseas companies becoming a common theme throughout lockdown.