Unlocking the potential of asymmetric hydrogenation at Merck.

This Account outlines the efforts of Merck scientists toward implementing asymmetric hydrogenation as a core competency within Merck Research Laboratories. Several key factors are discussed including (i) a focus on efficient chemical synthesis, (ii) implementation of high throughput screening (HTS) techniques, (iii) demonstration of robustness on scale, and (iv) diligence to ensure freedom of operation and catalyst supply for manufacturing. Several examples of the development of efficient asymmetric hydrogenation processes are described.