Enzymatic Synthesis and Its Use in Cladribine Production

Abstract

Enzymatic synthesis is an alternative to chemical synthesis and provides new possibilities in the preparation of pharmaceutically active substances. The aim is to minimize the inefficiency of the chemical method of preparation and increase its effectiveness. Despite advances, biotechnological processes in nucleoside synthesis using catalysis by nucleoside phosphorylases are not actively applied industrially. The development of an enzymatic synthesis route could bring benefits in terms of improved efficiency, process simplicity, and minimization of organic solvent consumption and thus environmental impact. The use of enzymatic synthesis in the production of cladribine provides a simple and rapid way of producing this active substance in high purity without the formation of undesirable by-products.