Steven Wisniewski, PhD, Associate Scientific Director Bristol-Myers Squibb

Title of Talk: How Base Metals Catalysis Can Impact Process Chemistry

Abstract: Process chemists consider several factors when designing synthetic routes to active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) including amongst others safety, number and type of chemical transformations, availability of starting materials, sustainability, and cost. Enabling disruptive, rather than incremental, innovation that delivers a step change in synthetic efficiency is critical to achieving business goals, especially with the increasing molecular complexity of new pharmaceutical candidates. Many of these routes utilize transition metal catalysis to forge key carbon-carbon and carbon-heteroatom bonds. Our extensive experience in addition to the significant mechanistic work in the field make palladium the go-to catalyst in process chemistry. We believe that additional tools and methods will be required to continue to enable disruptive outcomes in the synthesis of new pharmaceutical candidates. Therefore, we are upinvesting in Earth-abundant metal catalysis as the distinct reactivity of iron, cobalt, and nickel may enable new disconnections and result in shorter, cheaper, and more sustainable routes to APIs. This presentation will cover the development and impact of base metal catalysis on the synthesis of clinical candidates from Bristol Myer Squibb’s portfolio.