Separation of Racemic Bicalutamide by an Optimized Combination of Continuous Chromatography and Selective Crystallization

A racemic mixture of bicalutamide, a drug substance used in the treatment of prostate cancer, was separated by simulated moving bed chromatography, with the objective of maximizing throughput at reduced outlet purity. The enriched extract stream was purified further by a crystallization process exploiting a shift in the eutectic composition. The optimal purity in between both process steps was identified. The separation scheme developed was validated on a scale of 600 g, and the results were compared to those of state-of-the art and discussed. The investigated scheme revealed a wide range of promising coupling conditions while showing superior productivities and enhanced process robustness.