Growth in demand for iopamidol drives the development of serinol industry

Serinol, also known as 2-amino-1,3-propanediol, has a molecular formula of C3H9NO2 and a molecular weight of 91.11. It is a prochiral aminoalcohol. Because its structure is similar to serine, it is often called serinol. Serinol is chemically stable, corrosive, hygroscopic and has good water solubility. Serinol is a pharmaceutical intermediate and the main intermediate used to synthesize iopamidol (pharmaceutical name iopamidol). Iopamidol is an X-ray non-ionic iodine contrast agent. Compared with other ionic iodine contrast agents, it has the advantages of higher imaging quality, less vascular and neurotoxicity, and better tolerance.

At present, the global iopamidol production enterprises, namely the serinol consumption market and serinol production capacity, are concentrated in a few countries and regions. Among them, Europe, India, and China, as important iopamidol production regions in the world, have serinol production capacity, and the serinol production capacity in the region can meet their iopamidol production needs, and there is less need to import from outside the region. Although South Korea also produces iopamidol, most of its serinol is imported from China. In addition, due to differences in iopamidol production processes, different users have different requirements for serinol impurity control. For example, Chinese iopamidol manufacturers pay more attention to the control of ethanolamine content in serinol, while Korean iopamidol manufacturers pay more attention to the control of ethanolamine content in serinol. More attention is paid to the control of methylserinol content in serinol. Indian iopamidol manufacturers generally have looser requirements for controlling impurities in serinol.

For a long time, China has relied on imports of contrast agent products represented by iopamidol. Since 2018, thanks to the support of national policies and increased investment in pharmaceutical research and development, local pharmaceutical companies represented by Stellite and Kelun Pharmaceutical have made breakthroughs in iopamidol production technology, achieved industrial production, and completed the drug With the registration with the Food and Drug Administration, China’s iopamidol industry has entered a period of rapid development, especially Stellite, which has actively deployed the domestic iopamidol market through mergers and acquisitions, resource integration and other measures, and promoted the import substitution of iopamidol products, prompting The local iopamidol production industry has increased its volume, which has led to a rapid growth in China’s demand for serinol. According to the released “2022-2027 China Serinol Industry Market In-depth Research and Development Prospects Forecast Report“, in 2021, The demand for serinol in China reaches hundreds of tons.

Analysts believe that with the deepening of China’s aging and the high incidence of cardiovascular, tumor and other diseases, China’s use of iopamidol, including iopamidol, has The domestic market demand for contrast agents is gradually increasing, stimulating relevant companies to increase the production of iopamidol, which in turn promotes the continued growth of domestic demand for serinol. In addition, as the research on serinol continues to deepen, its application value in medicine and other fields may be further explored, thus becoming a new growth point for serinol.