Quantumzyme granted patent in India for development of green catalyst
- ByStartupStory | March 25, 2023
Quantumzyme, a biotransformation company that specializes in eco-friendly and sustainable chemistry, has recently received a patent for the transaminase enzyme in India. The patent was granted after applying its QZyme Workbench technology, which enables the creation of a green catalyst for one of the world’s most crucial chemical reactions, with potential applications in the pharmaceutical and agricultural industries. QZyme Workbench is a versatile technology that offers a wide range of protein modeling and engineering capabilities, such as ligand docking, structural refinement, conformational sampling, substrate binding affinity estimation, catalytic reaction modeling, identifying mutable hotspots, and hotspot optimization.
With over 74 million active patients and a large community that remains undiagnosed, diabetes is fast becoming a lifestyle disease in India. The introduction of more affordable drugs is expected to improve accessibility and boost volumes. In 2022, Sitagliptin (Januvia) had its last days in India, and although it is a newer molecule to the Indian market, the cost of therapy is anticipated to decrease from Rs 45 per day charged by Merck to Rs 8-18 per day charged by generic competitors. Naveen Kulkarni, the CEO of Quantumzyme, expressed optimism about the company’s prospects, citing the current patent and trademark landscape as crucial and encouraging. He emphasized the company’s commitment to developing resourceful green catalysts and better technologies to meet the needs of industries more efficiently.
According to a company statement, Quantumzyme has developed a new biocatalytic synthetic route for enantiopure chiral amine, a crucial intermediate in Sitagliptin synthesis. This approach offers significant benefits to Indian generic players by reducing their dependence on China for the key intermediate, making it available locally at competitive prices. This would help to reduce costs and make the drug more affordable.
Transaminase reactions play a critical role in the API and fertilizer/agriculture industries by enabling the efficient production of essential molecules such as chiral amines and amino acids. The technology has the potential to improve plant growth and yield by synthesizing amino acid-based plant growth regulators. Quantumzyme is committed to developing resourceful green catalysts and better technologies to meet the needs of industries more efficiently.
Green chemistry and biocatalysts are closely linked due to the critical role of sustainable sources in chemical synthesis. Green catalysts have the potential to catalyze various chemical reactions, providing an environmentally-friendly alternative to hazardous chemical processes. As a result, the development of green catalysts is crucial for advancing sustainable and eco-friendly chemistry.
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