SK pharmteco Launches Catalyst Kit to Streamline Catalytic Reaction Development and Continuous Manufacturing Scale-Up

RANCHO CORDOVA, Calif., Sept. 24, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- SK pharmteco today announced the launch of the SK pharmteco Catalyst Kit, a structured program that guides pharmaceutical and biotech innovators from initial catalyst screening through fully optimized, commercial-scale continuous catalytic processes with expert support along the way.

Catalytic flow reactions can offer distinct efficiency, safety, and sustainability advantages over traditional batch processing. Drawing on decades of experience in catalyst design, development, optimization, and continuous processing, SK pharmteco’s new kit provides a clear, three-stage development pathway: Screen to Identify, Optimize to Perform, and Scale with Confidence.

A Structured Pathway from Screening to Commercial Production

The SK pharmteco Catalyst Kit replaces fragmented testing with an integrated roadmap supported by SK pharmteco’s technical experts at every step:

1. Screen to Identify: The kit supplies 12 catalysts (as 10 g samples), giving development teams a practical starting point to evaluate whether a reaction benefits from continuous catalytic processing. Screening generates comparative data across metals, supports, and activation requirements to identify high-performing candidates and determine readiness for continuous fixed-bed reactor (FBR) optimization.
   
2. Optimize to Perform: Once initial candidates are identified, SK pharmteco’s team collaborates with clients to refine catalyst composition, active-metal distribution, and support interactions, and to adjust process variables (temperature, pressure, residence time, and loading). This co-optimization aligns reaction chemistry with FBR mechanics to improe conversion, selectivity, yield, impurity profiles, and overall productivity.
   
3. Scale with Confidence: Optimized process conditions are transferred from the lab scale through kilo, mini-pilot, pilot, and full-scale GMP commercial manufacturing with SK pharmteco’s expert team support.
   
   

The Catalyst Kit is more than a catalyst sample set. The kit identifies candidates for catalytic reactions used in Registered Starting Materials (RSMs), intermediates, and APIs, but optimization with expert support is where catalyst potential becomes process performance.

Unlocking the Power of Continuous Fixed-Bed Reactor (FBR) Processing

By combining in-house catalyst manufacturing with advanced continuous fixed-bed reactor (FBR) technology, SK pharmteco enables high-pressure, high-temperature catalytic reactions, such as hydrogenation, from gram-scale process development through multi-ton commercial production.

Compared to traditional batch processing, continuous catalytic flow processes offer significant advantages:

• Cost Savings: Lower catalyst consumption, simplified work-up, and longer catalyst life.
• Enhanced Safety & Sustainability: Lower risk of runaway reactions, reduced solvent waste, and increased capability for solvent recovery and reuse.
• Quality Operations: High-pressure handling, precise control of reaction conditions, continuous parameter monitoring, higher selectivity and purity, and greater product consistency.
• Predictable Scale-Up: Smooth process transfer designed for regulated commercial manufacturing.
  
  

“Screening identifies what could work, optimization determines what will work, and scale-up confirms the path to manufacturing,” said Bill DuBay, Vice President of Global Research & Development. “The SK pharmteco Catalyst Kit provides our partners with a structured starting point, backed by deep technical expertise, enabling drug developers to rapidly bring scalable, high-quality APIs, intermediates, and RSMs to market.”

For more information about the SK pharmteco Catalyst Kit and continuous processing capabilities, visit www.skpharmteco.com.

About SK pharmteco
SK pharmteco is a global contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) with production sites, research & development facilities, and analytical laboratories across the U.S., Europe, and South Korea. The company’s core capabilities center on small molecules, peptides, and viral vectors, providing the specialized expertise needed to bring complex therapies to market. Through these pillars, SK pharmteco supports biopharmaceutical partners of all sizes with comprehensive development and manufacturing solutions worldwide. SK pharmteco is a subsidiary of SK Inc. (KRX: 034730) (SK), the strategic investment company for SK Group, South Korea’s second-largest conglomerate.   

Contact:
Keith Bowermaster, APR, CCMP
Communications Consultant
[email protected]

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