Continuous-Flow Synthesis of Antiepileptic Drugs: Process Intensification, Sustainability Metrics, and Scalable Manufacturing.

The current trend in antiepileptic drug (AED) development entails finding and creating safer, more effective technologies as the world continues to source AEDs, thereby creating a larger carbon footprint through the batch-process method of manufacturing AEDs, along with potential resource limitations and/or supply chain constraints on batch-manufactured products. This review will evaluate the change in AED manufacturing from the batch-process method to the continuous-flow process and the advantages associated with integrating environmentally friendly chemical methods into continuous-flow manufacturing processes to create AEDs and the new generation of AEDs with reduced waste. The review will examine examples of recent advances in continuous-flow processing of major molecules, including pregabalin, levetiracetam, lacosamide, and brivaracetam. In addition, the review will discuss the obstacles preventing a complete transition to an automated, environmentally friendly, and continuous-flow process for producing AEDs.