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The Institute of Nano Science and Technology has developed a budget method for making the antiepileptic drug Rufinamide. The researchers responsible for it were Jayamurugan Govindaswamy, a Ramanujan Fellow of the Department of Science and Technology and his co-workers.
The group developed a new recyclable copper-oxide catalyst, which plays a vital role in the ky reaction that produces Rufinamide.
Currently, the technology being used to make the drug has selectivity issues, which leads to the production of the unnecessary isomer 1, 5- regioisomer. This ultimately leads to high production costs.
The new method replaces the conventional copper sulphate catalyst with 3 to 5 nm-sized copper iodide. Copper iodide is so reactive that the reaction can be conducted with great efficacy under the aqueous condition at room temperature.
The catalyst is also coated with a slightly modified natural biopolymer. They are biocompatible and can be separated by filtration.
The newly developed catalyst is also useful for other organic transformation reactions. It can be commercialized for academic use and for the use of companies that deal with fine chemicals.
A patent has been filed by the Institute of Nano Science and Technology for this efficient, budget-friendly and environment-friendly process.
Due to its cost, Rufinamide is manufactured only by a handful of companies. The drug is essential for epilepsy patients.
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