Process for the preparation of cephradine

1. Process for preparing cephradine, said process comprising reacting 7-aminodesacetoxy cephalosporanic acid (7-ADCA) with D-dihydrophenylglycine in activated form (DHa) in the presence of an enzyme in a reaction mixture to form cephradine, resulting in a conversion of 7-ADCA into cephradine of at least 70%, wherein the concentration D-dihydrophenylglycine (DH) in the reaction mixture is below 2 wt. % throughout the reaction;

wherein said enzyme is an acylase having a higher S/H ratio than the wild type acylase of E.coli throughout the reacting step and said reacting is carried out at a temperature of at least 15° C.

2. Process according to claim 1 , wherein said reacting results in a conversion of 7-ADCA into cephradine of at least 80%.

3. Process according to claim 1 , wherein said reacting results in a conversion of D-dihydrophenylglycine in activated form (DHa) into cephradine (CEF) of at least 70%, wherein

the conversion of DHa into CEF=(n CEF /n Dha )*100%;

n CEF =quantity of cephradine formed (in mole); and

n Dha =total quantity of DHa added to reaction mixture (in mole).

4. Process according to claim 1 , wherein the concentration DH in the reaction mixture is maintained below 2 wt. %, throughout said reacting by controlling the pH of the reaction mixture between pH 6 and 9 wherein said reacting is carried out at a temperature of between 15 and 35° C.

5. Process according to claim 1 , wherein the sum of the quantity of 7-ADCA added to the reaction mixture and DHa added to the reaction mixture is between 10 and 2000 mmol per liter of reaction mixture.

6. Process according to claim 1 , characterized in that dihydrophenylglycine in activated form is dihydrophenylglycine methylester.

7. Process according to claim 1 , characterized in that dihydrophenylglycine in activated form is a HCI salt of dihydrophenylglycine methylester.

8. Process according to claim 1 , characterized in that the enzyme is immobilized on a carrier.

9. Process according to claim 1 , wherein the process is a batch process.

10. Process according to claim 1 , wherein said reacting is carried out at a pH of at least 7.0.

11. Process according to claim 1 , wherein said reacting is carried out at a pH of below 7.7.

12. Process according to claim 1 , characterized in that the enzyme is a mutant penicillin acylase is derived from a wild type acylase via recombinant DNA methodology by substituting one amino acid residue for a new residue.

13. Process according to claim 1 , wherein the process comprises crystallizing the cephradine from an aqueous solution to form cephradine hydrate with a water content between 3% and 6% by weight.

14. Process, according to claim 13 , said process comprising:

reacting aminodesacetoxy cephalosporanic acid (7-ADGA) with D-dihydrophenylglycine in activated form (DHa) in the presence of an enzyme in a reaction mixture to form cephradine; and

crystallizing the cephradine from an aqueous solution, in which aqueous solution the ratio m CEF /(m 7-ADCA +m CEF )>0.7, preferably>0.8, more preferably>0.9, and wherein XDH=0-2 wt. %, preferably 0-1 wt. %, wherein

m CEF =molar quantity of cephradine in the aqueous solution;

m 7-ADCA =molar quantity of 7-ADGA in the aqueous solution; and

X DH =concentration of DH in the aqueous solution relative to the total weight of the aqueous solution.

15. Process according to claim 13 , wherein the process comprises separating the enzyme from the cephradine prior to said crystallizing.

16. Process according to claim 1 , wherein the concentration 7-ADCA in the aqueous solution is between 0 and 5 wt. %.

17. Process according to claim 13 , wherein said crystallizing is performed at a temperature of between 45 and 60° C.

18. Process for preparing cephradine hydrate crystals with a water content between 3% and 6% by weight, characterized in that the process comprises crystallizing cephradine from an aqueous solution to form cephradine hydrate, wherein said crystallizing is carried out at a temperature of between 45 and 60° C.

19. Process according to claim 13 , wherein said crystallizing is performed at a pH of between 4.0 and 6.0.

20. Process for the preparation of cephradine characterized in that the process comprises:

reacting 7-aminodesacetoxy cephalosporanic acid (7-ADCA) with D-dihydrophenylglycine in activated form in the presence of an enzyme in a reaction mixture to prepare cephradine; and

crystallizing the cephradine from an aqueous solution to form cephradine hydrate with a water content between 3% and 6% by weight according to the process according to claim 18 .

21. Process according to claim 1 , wherein part of the cephradine formed is crystallized and present in the reaction mixture as cephradine hydrate, and wherein the process further comprises dissolving at least part of said cephradine hydrate in said reaction mixture.

22. Process according to claim 21 , wherein said dissolving is effected at a pH of above 8.

23. Process according to claim 1 characterized in that said reacting is carried out in the presence of sodium bisulphite.