Knowledge Center

As global demand intensifies for safer and more efficient chemical solvents, Di-n-Butyl Ether (DnBE, CAS 142-96-1) has emerged as a valuable asset across fine chemical production, pharmaceutical synthesis, and specialty chemicals manufacturing. With a boiling point of 142 °C and flash point of 25 °C, DnBE delivers optimized performance in elevated temperature reactions, reducing ignition risk while enhancing reaction kinetics.

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell therapy is a revolutionary method that has emerged as a cutting-edge cancer treatment, harnessing the patient's T cells to bolster their immune system's anti-cancer capabilities. Traditionally, CAR-T cell production has relied on viral vectors, which present safety concerns, high costs, and production challenges. The investigation and development of alternative gene delivery systems are unlocking new possibilities.

Special Chem article about AdvensProtect 8 Green.
SEQENS Launches Biobased Caprylyl Glycol for Make-up, Skin, and Hair Care Products

Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products (ATMPs) are revolutionizing the treatment of a wide range of severe diseases. Their potential to deliver long-lasting or even curative effects places them at the forefront of biomedical innovation. However, despite their clinical promise, the successful development and widespread adoption of ATMPs face two critical hurdles: high manufacturing costs and market access specificities.

When producing pharmaceutical-grade polymers, NMR spectroscopy enables the detection of trace impurities. This is key to meet strict regulatory standards set by agencies like the FDA and EMA, particularly those outlined in ICH guidelines.

Several emerging strategies leveraged by automated labs, aim to improve discovery, efficiency and reliability in designing chemical routes.

High throughput screening (HTS) and experimentation (HTE) are techniques which allow the execution of large numbers of experiments to be conducted in parallel while requiring less effort per experiment when compared to conventional means of experimentation. A reiterative process of design, execution, data analysis, and hit identification enables rapid exploration of conditions for reaction discovery and optimization.

Phosphorus compounds play a central role in many chemical manufacturing processes across various industries. Their versatility and reactivity make them valuable components for the synthesis of pharmaceutical intermediates, performance additives for lubricants, and advanced ingredients for coatings. Mastery of these chemistries enables the development of high-quality, tailor-made products adapted to a wide range of applications.

Amphotericin B is a well-known and mature antifungal drug which is used in the treatment of bloodborne parasitic and fungal infections. However, its use has been limited by dose-dependent kidney toxicity. Oral formulation approaches have focused on the dual problem of solubility and permeability of Amphotericin B (AmphB), which is poorly water soluble, amphoteric and has extremely low oral bioavailability. In this article, we would like to highlight some of the key features in the history of AmphB and the attempts to reduce its toxicity through formulation strategies.

Chloride-containing chemicals are essential building blocks in the chemical industry, widely applied across custom chemical manufacturing processes for cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and fragrance products. These versatile compounds ranging from salts to complex organic chemicals—enable valuable functionalities, supporting companies in the development of innovative and multi-functional ingredients. 

To produce high purity polymers for biomedical use, a purification step is usually required. After the synthesis step(s) of polymers, heterogeneous polymeric populations in terms of size and/or chemical properties could be obtained as well as the generation of by-product(s)

We sat down with Eric Busseron, R&D manager for Pharma Polymers in Aramon and Rajesh Shukla, R&D Director at our Boston'Lab to discuss polymers in healthcare and the main challenges when developing polymers.

We asked 6 questions to our Fine Chemicals R&D manager, Pierre-Antoine Bonnardel. Pierre manages a chemical development team in the Seqens’Lab, and he explains how his team works on custom projects and shares insights on two major customized solutions

Tissue engineering and overall regenerative medicine, involve complex processes that often require combining multiple strategies. Materials used in these approaches, range from metals and ceramics to natural and synthetic polymers as well as their microcomposites and nanocomposites.

We sat down with our North America Sales Director expert, Hector Hernandez, to discuss key trends, the potential for actives and antimicrobials, SEQENS Personal Care's competitive advantages, and the biggest opportunities and challenges ahead.

In this article, we will review some of the key challenges for product characterization and monitoring, and how physicochemical methods, when applicable, can leverage cell and gene therapy manufacturing.

In this article, we wish to highlight some recent developments for implementing more sustainable processes in the field of photochemistry, flow chemistry, and biocatalysis. Smarter process is also about process intensification and combining technologies, such as flow chemistry with photochemistry or biocatalysis.

We asked 5 questions to Hendrik Bessem, our Global Product Manager and antimicrobials expert.

In the pharmaceutical industry, significant paradigm shifts are transforming the quality environment to support modern and innovative manufacturing. Regulators, industry leaders, and standards-setting organizations are increasingly emphasizing risk-based and Quality by Design (QbD) approaches over traditional compliance-driven and quality-by-testing methods

Special Chem article about AdvensProtect 8 Green.
SEQENS Launches Biobased Caprylyl Glycol for Make-up, Skin, and Hair Care Products

We asked 7 questions to Agathe Le Tirant, our R&D project manager, expert to demonstrate the efficacy of our products. 

For successful AD processes, the efficiency of biomass conversion requires a good understanding on the substrates nutritional composition in order to select the best way to ensure maximum substrate access. The intention of this article is to highlight the diversity of biomass organic wastes and their characteristics for biogas production.

We asked 6 questions to our Analytical development expert Pirjo Luoma-Tokoi, PhD. Pirjo is R&D Analytical Development Manager at Seqens’Lab, and she shares her insights on this pivotal expertise for drug development.

The field of drug delivery has undergone significant advancements, transforming the way medications are administered and improving therapeutic outcomes. This article explores the latest innovations in drug delivery systems, focusing on their impact on healthcare and the pharmaceutical industry. 

The manufacturing of APIs is a complex and highly regulated process that requires precision, expertise, and adherence to stringent quality standards. This guide aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of API manufacturing, its importance in drug development, and the latest trends and innovations in the field. 

A CDMO plays a critical role in drug development and manufacturing, offering specialized services that can significantly impact the efficiency, quality, and speed of bringing new drugs to market. This article provides a comprehensive guide to understanding CDMOs, the key criteria for selecting the right partner, and the benefits of making an informed choice. 

We asked 6 questions to our Flow Chemistry experts : Jean-Baptiste Rouchet, Synthetic technologies expert for Continuous flow and Jean-Yves Lenoir, R&D Manager for Flow Chemistry. They share their insights on this valuable tool to develop safe and competitive processes.

Polymers find various applications in healthcare, from drug delivery to medical devices. Watch this webinar where we present innovations in polymers to improve drug delivery and develop cutting-edge medical devices.

In the fast-paced world of pharmaceutical development, partnering with a Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO) can be a game-changer. CDMOs offer a range of specialized services that can significantly enhance the efficiency and success of drug development projects. This article explores the importance of CDMOs, their functions, and the benefits they bring to pharmaceutical companies. 

High Throughput Experimentation (HTE) has emerged as an important tool to assist and accelerate the productivity of the synthetic chemist. This iterative process of design, execution, data analysis, and hit identification enables rapid exploration of conditions for reaction discovery and optimization. In this article, we highlight the powerful use of HTE within the fields of multi-catalysis and new route synthesis, with a particular focus on late-stage functionalization.

Watch this webinar presented by Seqens team of experts to understand how you can benefit from early solid form screening and related activities.

Watch this webinar where our experts will present detailed case studies on the development of a continuous process to an API and on the development of safe processes to key pharmaceutical intermediates or specialty ingredients.

Watch this webinar where SEQENS will present how to help solving the specific manufacturing challenges associated with the New Molecular Entities in development in oncology.

The drug development process is a complex and multifaceted journey that transforms a promising compound into a market-ready pharmaceutical product.

Chiral cyclobutanes are important structural features that are widely present in many biologically active natural and non-natural products. The threedimensional structure of cyclobutanes opens opportunities for applications in medicinal chemistry, and the introduction of this structural motif in smallmolecule drug candidates has been increasing in recent years.

Highly Potent Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (HPAPIs) are compounds that exhibit high biological activity at low doses. These substances are integral to the development of targeted therapies, particularly in oncology and other critical therapeutic areas. The potency of HPAPIs necessitates stringent safety measures to protect both workers and the environment during manufacturing processes. 

From a process chemist point of view, developing an enzymatic process at industrial scale, is very much the same challenges and principles than any other chemical processes strategies. The exception relies however in understanding the behaviour of the biocatalyst for optimal performance and robustness. In this article, we wish to review the key stages that are required for implementing a biocatalytic process at industrial scale, supported by 4 case studies.

We asked 9 questions to Dr. Julien Leroudier, our technical expert in solid state characterization and scalable crystallization process about solid form.

Over the past decade, a profound shift has been underway in the pharmaceutical industry, as continuous flow processes gain momentum alongside traditional batch methods. This transformation is propelled by advancements in flow reactor technology, promising enhanced efficiency, safety, and sustainability in chemical production. In this article, we delve into the transformative power of flow chemistry, exploring its myriad benefits and applications in fine chemicals and active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) manufacturing.

Seqens has developed a unique FOS composition, made from sucrose and presenting a large diversity in chain length. While short chains are metabolized quickly by colonic bacteria, medium chains have a sustained effect over time and very long chains are likely to be excreted before being fully metabolized by the bacteria.  Our unique FOS composition corresponds to an optimal balance between short and medium chain lengths. 

We asked 5 questions to Dr. Sonia Lombardo, Preformulation Solid State Engineer at SEQENS, about bioavailability improvement and pre-formulation studies during drug development.

The latest generations of peptides, obtained via disruptive technologies such as synthetic biology and artificial intelligence, mark a break with conventional chemistry that is modernizing their image.

Watch this webinar where SEQENS and GenEvolutioN will present how to cope with the new Nitrosamines regulations for the development of Drug Substances and Drug Products.

Facing a highly competitive global market with increasing awareness on environmental issues, chemical production is making its way toward a paradigm shift to more efficient, more environmentally friendly, and more versatile manufacturing processes. In this white paper, we wish to review some of the key advanced tools available to process chemists for addressing the challenges in process intensification.

Among the different fields of chemical approaches available to the synthetic chemists, biocatalysis is only being slowly adopted, especially due to a lack of know-how and practical experience. However,enzymatic catalysis is a mature technology, and this should encourage more chemists to take further ownership and expand applications in modern chemistry.

High Potency Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (HPAPIs) are essential products in the pharmaceutical industry. These compounds are characterized by their high biological activity, which allows them to be effective at much lower doses compared to standard APIs. This potency makes HPAPIs crucial in the treatment of various diseases, including cancer and autoimmune disorders. 

During this webinar, we present the specific challenges encountered by Biotech companies when developing New Chemical Entities from Discovery phase to Early Clinical phases. A case study is presented on an API presenting a low water solubility and at the same time a low solubility in lipophilic solvents.

Flow chemistry is transforming the landscape of chemical manufacturing, offering numerous advantages over traditional batch processes. This article delves into the key benefits of flow chemistry, providing valuable insights for heads of manufacturing drug development in pharmaceutical companies. 

Discover in the latest Organic Letters issue, how SEQENS in collaboration with Géraldine Masson, have developed a more greener approach for the decarboxylative borylation, leading efficiently to a- and b-amino-boronamides, an important class of compounds in medicinal chemistry.

This paper presents the different strategies considered to enhance pharmaceutical drugs bioavailability.
A special focus is made on the need
to understand, at early stage, the behaviour and the characteristics of these compounds, especially physical, chemical and biological
properties.

Highly potent drugs represent a growing proportion of medicines, including therapies in development and those commercially available. In this article, discover some best practices and synthetic route considerations for delivering highly potent drugs.

The concept of multi-catalysis is an emerging field targeting the development of new efficient catalytic systems combining multi-step synthesis in new ‘one-pot’ transformations or in multi-catalytic sequences.

Seqens Personal Care Article

Nitrosamines are a group of organic compounds containing the nitroso functional group. In this white paper, we review the main analytical techniques that have been investigated, and then we will present our work regarding the development of a UPLC-HRMS technique for identifying and quantifying Nitroso Drug Substances Related Impurities, at ppb level in APIs.

The catalytic properties of Seqenzym FT, a fungal fructosyltransferase heterologously
expressed in yeasts, were investigated at a temperature of 55 C and pH 5.5. The initial rate measurements showed that the transfructosylation rate was only slightly inhibited by sucrose above the
concentration of 1.5 M. Compared to other commercial preparations, Seqenzym FT can better produce FOS with a higher degree of polymerization.

About 30% of all APIs carry a Fluor atom, and many APIs need at least one fluorinated intermediate during their synthesis. Using continuous flow chemistry for fluorination steps could improve reactions performances in terms of reaction time and conversion ratio.

Enzyme evolution involves some changes of amino acid residues that constitute the sequence of the protein, which can alter its conformational dynamics and ultimately affect its enzymatic function

Seqens participated to this year’s annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), held in Chicago on June 2-6 .