Photoredox and Continuous-Flow Chemistry: Accelerating Innovation in Drug Discovery and Development at Jubilant Biosys

Sandipan Sarkar
Associate Vice President – Synthesis
Jubilant Biosys

In the pursuit of faster, safer, and more sustainable drug development, Jubilant Biosys has established advanced capabilities in Photoredox Chemistry and Continuous-Flow Processing to address complex synthetic challenges across discovery, development, and scale-up. By harnessing the power of light-driven chemical transformations, the company is providing innovative solutions that expand chemical space, improve process efficiency, and enable access to molecules that are often difficult to synthesize using conventional approaches.

Photoredox chemistry has emerged as a transformative technology in modern pharmaceutical research due to its ability to generate reactive radical intermediates under mild conditions. This enables the rapid synthesis of diverse molecular scaffolds, facilitating access to unexplored chemical space and novel intellectual property opportunities. The technology is particularly valuable for the formation of challenging carbon-carbon bonds, especially sp³-sp³ and sp³-sp² linkages, direct C-H functionalization of otherwise unreactive carbon centers, and unique functional group transformations that are difficult to achieve through traditional synthetic methodologies. Photoredox approaches also provide efficient routes for decarboxylative and cross-coupling reactions, offering sustainable alternatives to classical metal-mediated processes.

Beyond its synthetic versatility, photoredox chemistry aligns strongly with green chemistry principles. Reactions are often conducted under mild conditions with reduced energy requirements and lower dependence on harsh reagents, contributing to more sustainable process development. These advantages become even more significant when photoredox chemistry is integrated with continuous-flow technology.

Advanced Photoredox Infrastructure

To support photochemical research and development, Jubilant Biosys has a comprehensive suite of photochemistry platforms. These include SynLED Parallel Photoreactor-2.0 systems for high-throughput reaction screening and optimization, along with an array of Kessil lamps covering multiple wavelengths (blue, green, violet etc) to facilitate rapid reaction
development. These platforms provide flexibility for both exploratory medicinal chemistry and process development activities. Scale-up is supported by a Corning® R5 five-plate reactor, paired with an integrated Julabo temperature control unit for precise thermal management.

A key addition to this capability portfolio is the Corning® Advanced-Flow™ G1 Photo-flow Reactor, a state-of-the-art continuous-flow photochemical platform designed to combine the advantages of photochemistry and flow processing. The reactor utilizes illuminated glass microchannels that provide highly efficient photon delivery throughout the reaction medium, ensuring uniform light exposure and superior reaction performance. It incorporates tunable multi-wavelength LED technology, excellent heat and mass transfer characteristics, and robust process control, resulting in enhanced selectivity, reproducibility, and scalability. The platform also offers seamless scale-up capability, allowing smooth transition from laboratory development to pilot-scale manufacturing while maintaining process performance.

The integration of photoredox chemistry with continuous-flow processing offers several advantages over conventional batch operations. Improved light penetration and photon utilization lead to higher reaction rates and productivity, while enhanced heat and mass transfer improve yields and selectivity. Flow systems also provide safer handling of reactive intermediates and facilitate direct scale-up from milligram to kilogram quantities with minimal process re-optimization. These benefits make continuous-flow photochemistry an increasingly powerful platform for modern pharmaceutical process development.

From Laboratory Innovation to Kilogram-Scale Manufacturing

Jubilant Biosys has successfully applied flow chemistry and photochemical technologies to solve practical manufacturing challenges encountered during pharmaceutical development.

One notable example involved a five-step synthetic sequence containing a critical Wolff rearrangement reaction. Under conventional conditions, the transformation posed significant safety concerns due to rapid nitrogen gas evolution and the associated risk of pressure buildup. By implementing continuous-flow technology, the reaction was executed safely under intensified processing conditions, enabling operation at 150°C and 250 psi while achieving the successful production of 1 kg of the desired product. This demonstrated how flow chemistry can transform a potentially hazardous reaction into a scalable and manufacturing-friendly process.

In another project, a key benzylic bromination of a picoline derivative suffered from poor scalability and substantial side-product formation when performed in batch mode. As this bromination represented the first step of a ten-step synthesis, establishing a robust process was essential for overall project success. Using a continuous-flow photochemical process driven by blue LED irradiation, the team significantly improved selectivity, reproducibility, and scalability, ultimately delivering 1 kg of the desired brominated intermediate. The success of this project highlighted the unique advantages of combining photochemistry and flow processing to overcome traditional scale-up limitations.

Enabling the Future of Pharmaceutical Development

The combination of Photoredox Chemistry and Continuous-Flow Technology is rapidly becoming a cornerstone of next-generation pharmaceutical synthesis. By integrating advanced photochemical platforms, high-throughput screening tools, and the Corning® Advanced-Flow™ G1 Photo Reactor, Jubilant Biosys is helping customers accelerate route development, access novel chemical space, improve process sustainability, and efficiently scale complex reactions from discovery to manufacturing. Through these capabilities, the company continues to provide innovative solutions that enable safer, faster, and more sustainable drug discovery and development.

Photoredox and Continuous-Flow Chemistry: Accelerating Innovation in Drug Discovery and Development at Jubilant Biosys Contact Jubilant Biosys