2. Academic Validation
  3. Development of a Robust Manufacturing Route for Molnupiravir, an Antiviral for the Treatment of COVID-19

Development of a Robust Manufacturing Route for Molnupiravir, an Antiviral for the Treatment of COVID-19

  • Org Process Res Dev. 2021 Dec 17;25(12):2806-2815. doi: 10.1021/acs.oprd.1c00400.
Patrick S Fier 1,  Yingju Xu 1,  Marc Poirier 1,  Gilmar Brito 1,  Michelle Zheng 1,  Rachel Bade 1,  Eric Sirota 1,  Kevin Stone 1,  Lushi Tan 1,  Guy R Humphrey 1,  Darryl Chang 1,  Jameson Bothe 1,  Yongqian Zhang 1,  Frank Bernardoni 1,  Steve Castro 1,  Michael A Zompa 1,  Jerry Taylor 1,  Kevin M Sirk 1,  Anthony Diaz-Santana 1,  Ike Diribe 1,  Khateeta M Emerson 1,  Bharath Krishnamurthi 1,  Ralph Zhao 1,  Michael Ward 1,  Chengqian Xiao 2,  Honggui Ouyand 2,  Jianfeng Zhan 2,  William J Morris 1
Affiliations

Affiliations

  • 1 Department of Process Research and Development, Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, New Jersey 07065, United States.
  • 2 WuXi AppTec Co., Ltd., WaiGaoQiao Free Trade Zone, Shanghai 200131, China.
PMID: 35095257 DOI: 10.1021/acs.oprd.1c00400
Abstract

Herein is described the development of a large-scale manufacturing process for molnupiravir, an orally dosed Antiviral that was recently demonstrated to be efficacious for the treatment of patients with COVID-19. The yield, robustness, and efficiency of each of the five steps were improved, ultimately culminating in a 1.6-fold improvement in overall yield and a dramatic increase in the overall throughput compared to the baseline process.

Figures
Products