Question: How do you think the pharmaceutical industry can become more sustainable?

Ben Rowsell answered on 13 Mar 2020:

I’m not sure how the pharmaceutical industry will ever become fully sustainable, as it fights a constant battle between improving the quality of lives and the way it does that. Should it only make drugs that ca be made in a sustainable manner and risk lives or save all lives and risk the environment?

My PhD is on using more sustainable metals, such as iron, to catalyse reactions already used in the pharmaceutical industry. These metals are more abundant in the earth than what they currently use which should mean mining them is less costly to the environment. The industry could also aim to use more sustainable solvents, such as methyl THF, which is made from cellulose (plant matter) so is seen as a renewable source. They are also constantly trying to use reaction conditions that are ‘softer’, so doing reactions and room temperature and pressure rather than using large amounts of energy to reach very high temperatures. It also tries to minimise waste best it can and this is done by someone called a process chemist that tries to find the best route to the drug. All of these things are worked on but not all can be met as the reward of the drug is more important in their eyes as that’s how they make money and function as a company.