Merck + Co., Inc.

Edamanal S Venkataramani

Andrew L Forman

Ralph J Magliette

Byron H Arison

Richard Robert Dauer

Josephine R Carlin

Donald McKinney

Robert Boyle

William A Vaughn

A process is described for the acclimation and enrichment of an activated sludge culture for the degradation of high concentrations of methanesulfonic acid, so as to render it non-toxic to the aquatic environment.

Biodegradation of methanesulfonic acid

Disclosed is a process for recovering and recycling waste methanesulfonic acid (MSA) and phosphorous acid (H.sub.3 PO.sub.3) in a bisphosphonation process for reuse in the process. The recovery process involves treating a waste crude mother liquor stream with HCl to remove sodium ion, as sodium chloride, recovering HCl--H.sub.2 O by atmospheric distillation, separating and dehydrating a mixture of methanesulfonic acid and phosphorous acid by vacuum distillation for recycle. The substantially dry methanesulfonic acid and phosphorous acid, and previous HCl, can all be recycled back to the process for reuse.

Process for recovery and recycle of methanesulfonic acid and phosphorous

Disclosed is a process for removing by-product phosphorus-containing (PO.sub.x) materials, alendronate and alendronate byproducts from crude mother liquors in an omega amino-1-hydroxy-C.sub.2 -C.sub.6 alkylidene-1,1-bisphosphonic acid synthesis process, e.g. alendronate sodium. Calcium chloride is added first to the crude mother liquors, then calcium oxide to precipitate the PO.sub.x materials, then neutralized to about pH 7 to complete precipitation. Substantially all of the alendronate sodium active ingredient is removed from the precipitate. Following filtration, the PO.sub.x filtercake can then be disposed of by incineration, landfilling or reclamation of usable phosphorus as fertilizer. The remaining filtrate can then be further treated in an environmentally acceptable manner by wastewater treatment or recycling to the process.

Process for removing waste pox, alendronate and its by products

The present invention is concerned with a novel biotransformation process for producing 17.beta.-N-monosubstituted carbamoyl-11-oxo-4-aza-5-.alpha.-androst-3-ones of the formula: ##STR1## These compounds are testosterone 5-.alpha. reductase inhibitors and are produced via a claimed novel biotransformation process using the green algae, Selenastrum capricornutum.

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Somerset, NJ, United States of America

Edamanal S Venkataramani