Circa offers its biobased LGO manufacturing capability for COVID-19 treatments development

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Type of post: NEWS IN BRIEF.

Biotechnology company Circa Group is offering its levoglucosenone (LGO) manufacturing capability to experts looking for building blocks for coronavirus treatments, including ribonolactone.
Press release: “Versatile platform chemical levoglucosenone provides new opportunities for coronavirus treatments”, 6/4/2020.
Related posts:
- “Biosolvent plant project of Circa and Norske Skog receives support from the Australian Government”, 15/3/2018.
- “Circa demonstration plant produces first batch of Cyrene® biosolvent”, 14/2/2019.

Figure 1. Levoglucosenone (extracted from the press release)

Established in 2006, Circa converts waste biomass into advanced biobased chemicals with its proprietary FuracellTM process at its FC5 prototype plant in Tasmania (Australia), with partner Norske Skog. Its developing product portfolio includes, flavours, biopolymers, and biosolvents including CyreneTM, an alternative to traditional polar aprotic solvents, which is produced in one step from platform chemical LGO.

Dr Jason Camp (CTO at Circa) commented: “LGO is an excellent starting material for the synthesis of biologically active compounds, including those which have anti-cancer, anti-microbial or anti-inflammatory activity. This chiral molecule provides opportunities to access previously difficult-to-synthesize intermediates such as enantiopure dihydropyrans, deoxy-sugars and ribonolactone, the latter is a component in several drugs currently under investigation for the treatment of COVID-19.”.

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