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Evonik is a leader in the industry for sustainability, committed to the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) with the goal of being climate neutral by 2050. This target is even more ambitious in the Health Care business, which aims for carbon neutrality in Scope 1 and 2 (direct and indirect emissions) by 2030.
In this interview, Evonik Health Care’s Global Head of Drug Substance Sales, Eric Neuffer, discusses how the company is achieving its sustainability initiatives, as well as the benefits and challenges of implementing green chemistry.
Q: HOW CAN THE PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRY MAINTAIN STRICT SAFETY STANDARDS WHILE IMPROVING ITS ENVIRONMENTAL PERFORMANCE?
Eric Neuffer: Strict safety standards are not necessarily at odds with environmental sustainability. By adopting sustainable practices such as reducing waste, using renewable energy sources, adopting green chemistry principles, and investing in research and development of environmentally friendly technologies, the pharmaceutical industry can improve its environmental credentials while maintaining safety standards.
Regulatory bodies can also play a key role in incentivizing and enforcing green practices through guidelines, certifications, and penalties for non-compliance. Increased collaboration and knowledge sharing within the industry is also another way to develop innovative solutions that reduce the environmental impact of pharmaceutical manufacturing while ensuring patient safety and efficacy.
Q: WHAT TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCES ARE AVAILABLE TO IMPLEMENT GREEN CHEMISTRY?
Eric Neuffer: Creativity and innovation are cornerstones of the pharmaceutical industry, and it is exciting to see what happens when that energy is invested in green chemistry. One example of a technological advance is the use of continuous flow chemistry, which allows the precise control of reaction conditions and reduces the amount of waste produced. Another great example is the use of renewable feedstocks (ex. sugar cane for fermentation) and solvents (ex. ethanol & 2-MeTHF), which can reduce reliance on fossil fuels and minimize the environmental impact of the production process.
The development of more efficient catalysts that can be recovered, and the implementation of purification techniques can further reduce waste and improve the efficiency of the manufacturing process are also great advances in sustainability. At Evonik we are working on a technology called Chemistry in Water created by Professor Bruce Lipshutz from UC Santa Barbara in the U.S., where surfactants are used to create micelles in which reactions take place, thereby reducing the need for solvents in chemical synthesis. Fermentation also contributes to sustainable manufacturing practices, as water is a typical solvent, and reduced environmental impact.
Q: HOW CAN ROUTE SELECTION, WHICH IS AN ESSENTIAL IN R&D AND MANUFACTURING, BE OPTIMIZED?
Eric Neuffer: Route selection can be optimized to be greener by considering the environmental impact of each potential synthetic route. This includes evaluating factors such as energy consumption, waste generation, and the use of hazardous materials. Green chemistry principles can also be applied by designing more sustainable reactions, such as those that produce less waste or use renewable energy sources. One example is the use of biocatalysts, which are enzymes that can catalyze reactions with high selectivity and efficiency, reducing the need for harsh chemicals and solvents. In addition, process intensification techniques such as continuous flow chemistry can minimize waste and energy consumption by reducing the scale of reactions and improving reaction efficiency. We expect to see more green chemistry and sustainability experts help further optimize the route selection process.
Continue reading the original article by Evonik here
Source: Evonik website Pharmaceuticals go green: How Evonik Health Care is adopting sustainability practices, principles and technologies – Evonik Industrie
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