[Seminar] Continuous Advances in the Synthesis of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients – Addressing Environmental Concerns

Title: Continuous Advances in the Synthesis of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients – Addressing Environmental Concerns

Speaker: Emília p. T. Leitão

Host: Rita Ventura

Affiliation: Hovione FarmaCiência SA, Process Chemistry Development,

Abstract:

Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease of the airways that attacks the respiratory system and results in reduced or obstructed airflow. This disease is increasing in industrialized countries due to environmental factors. It has no cure, but the symptoms can be controlled through the use of biologically active compounds such as Fluticasone propionate. However, the preparation of such compounds requires the use of reagents such as bromofluoromethane, which belongs to the class of compounds that deplete the ozone layer. In the late 80s and early 90s, the scientific and political communities joined forces in an attempt to reduce the production or even eliminate the use of such substances and find alternative compounds (Montreal Protocol). This work describes the studies carried out to find industrially viable processes to prepare fluticasone propionate without using such substances.

Emília Leitão joined Hovione in 2001 as Process Chemist and is currently Senior Chemist in R&D Process Chemistry Development area, where is responsible for the development and scale-up of processes to produce active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) under development.

Emília has a degree in Chemical Engineering from Instituto de Engenharia de Lisboa, a degree in Organic Chemistry, a Master in Bioorganic chemistry and a Ph.D in Organic Chemistry from Universidade Nova de Lisboa. 
In her work Emília Leitão as published three papers in peer review magazines and she is also the author of twelve patents.

She has also carried several oral and poster communications. Currently her interests are nanofiltration for purification of APIs, scaling-up of processes to produce pure APIs under a quality by design approach using process modelling tools and she is also interested in peptide synthesis.