Karl J Fisher, Laura Shirtcliff, Greg Buchanan, Andrew W Thompson, Frank X Woolard, Donald H LaMunyon, Jonathan L Marshall, Maya B Baranouskas, Rodger B Voelker, Jason S Lusk, Charles E Wells, Raodoh Mohamath, Robert Kinsey, William R Lykins, Gabi Ramer-Denisoff, Christopher B Fox, Christopher J Paddon, Derek McPhee
Emulsions of the triterpene squalene ((6 E ,10 E ,14 E ,18 E )-2,6,10,15,19,23-hexamethyltetracosa-2,6,10,14,18,22-hexaene, CAS 111-02-4) have been used as adjuvants in influenza vaccines since the 1990s. Traditionally sourced from shark liver oil, the overfishing of sharks and concomitant reduction in the oceanic shark population raises sustainability issues for vaccine adjuvant grade squalene. We report a semisynthetic route to squalene meeting current pharmacopeial specifications for use in vaccines that leverages the ready availability of trans -β-farnesene ((6 E )-7,11-dimethyl-3-methylene-1,6,10-dodecatriene, CAS 18794-84-8), manufactured from sustainable sugarcane via a yeast fermentation process...
December 15, 2023: Organic Process Research & Development