Excelsyn Develops Improved Process for tert-L-Leucine

Excelsyn Molecular Development has announced a major advance in its development of improved transaminase technology to produce the unnatural amino acid, tert-L-leucine (tert-butyl glycine (TBG). The compound is used in the synthesis of several major new drug candidates.

Excelsyn’s three-year programme, which began in 2004, targeted efficient routes to TBG using biocatalyst technology originally developed by Nutrasweet but acquired by Excelsyn during the divestment from Great Lakes Fine Chemicals.

To support this project, Excelsyn built a research partnership with Bangor University and Ingenza, a spin-out from Edinburgh University. 

Excelsyn won a Patent Proof of Concept grant award from the Welsh Assembly Government to support the work.

Transaminase technology is a three-enzyme, whole-cell platform that converts keto acids into amino acids.

TBG is the advanced commercial application of this technology that can be extended to other, unnatural amino acids.

Excelsyn’s has appointed fermentation partners to scale-up the newly enhanced process.

"As drugs become more complex and costly to produce, developing high-efficiency production technologies adds important value along the whole product chain," commented Excelsyn Group Chairman and CEO Ian Shott. 

"Finding better routes to TBG and other key amino acids will have significant cost-of-goods implications for several key drug candidates in current development," he added.