Evolution of Biocatalysis at Novartis over the last 40 Years

Abstract

The fortieth anniversary of biocatalysis started at Ciba-Geigy and later at Novartis is a great time to pause and reflect on development of science and technology in this field. Enzyme-based synthesis became a highly valued enabling tool for pharmaceutical research and development over the last decades. In this perspective we aim to discuss how the scientific approaches and trends evolved over the time and present future challenges and opportunities.

Keywords

• Biocatalysis
• Bioinformatics
• Enzyme evolution
• Late-stage functionalization
• Metabolite synthesis