PREMIER partners publish new scientific paper: Design of greener drugs: aligning parameters in pharmaceutical R&D and drivers for environmental impact 

PREMIER considers several approaches to better understand and manage pharmaceuticals in the environment. The question is if there is potential to take environmental considerations into account when designing new active pharmaceutical ingredients. Which molecular properties can be designed-in that may help reduce the presence or toxicity of medicines once they reach the environment? We acknowledge that it is already challenging to design new molecules that are both safe and effective for the patient. However, together with medicinal chemists we have identified the common ground between parameters in pharmaceutical R&D and their environmental impact. A summary article was published in “Drug Discovery Today” discussing the design of greener drugs, aiming to align pharmaceutical R&D with environmental sustainability. The main goal is to reduce the environmental impact of drugs right from the research and development stage, and this journal is perhaps one of the most relevant to reach that wider community.

The article emphasizes the importance of incorporating environmental criteria into the design of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs). Traditionally, drug development has focused on efficacy and patient safety, but parameters that assess the environmental impact of these compounds could be added. This includes considering how drugs and their metabolites affect the environment once they are excreted and enter aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems.

Furthermore, the study highlights the need for collaboration between environmental scientists and the pharmaceutical industry. This cooperation can facilitate the implementation of “benign by design” strategies, where drugs are developed with their entire lifecycle and environmental interactions in mind. We make a plea to environmental scientists to develop tools and assays that meet the demands of early pharmaceutical R&D and can be taken up in their workflows. Financial and regulatory incentives are also crucial to promote the adoption of these sustainable practices across the industry.

See the article here.