Peter Koch

"A special alkyl bromide is an important raw material for synthesizing a pharmaceutical intermediate, which has been produced for many years at the Allessa GmbH location in Frankfurt. However, because this alkyl bromide is not only difficult to obtain but also costly, our team was commissioned by the customer to develop an effective substitute.

We opted for the corresponding alkyl chloride, which is more readily available but poorer in reaction. By means of a multi-stage test program, it was finally possible to develop a method with which the alkyl chloride has a comparable reactivity to the alkyl bromide used previously. The subsequent analysis showed: The product was of a similar quality to the product from the previous process. By switching production to the new process, Allessa saved more than just material costs. The operational handling of alkyl chloride is also considerably easier from an industrial hygiene perspective than dealing with alkyl bromide.

The new manufacturing process was successful. Demand for the pharmaceutical intermediates increased, and in the end production was shifted to a different Allessa location. The production process was also optimized for the new production facilities. This not only resulted in the desired increase in production volume, but also in improved quality."