Public-private partnership aims to develop sustainable pharmaceuticals

A new research hub aims to develop sustainable alternatives to the finite materials used during pharmaceuticals manufacturing.

The largest ever public-private partnership dedicated to the development of sustainable pharmaceuticals manufacturing in Europe has been launched.

Led by the University of Manchester and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), the CHEM21 project aims to develop sustainable alternatives to finite materials - such as precious metals - that are used as catalysts in the manufacture of pharmaceuticals.

The £21.2 million biotechnology project involves six pharmaceutical companies, 13 universities and four small-to-medium enterprises from across the continent.

It is hoped that by using biotechnology when manufacturing medicines, it may be possible to limit the reliance on the world's resources.

GSK's John Baldoni said: "Improving the sustainability of our drug manufacturing processes through collaborations such as CHEM21 will not only reduce our industry's carbon footprint, but will provide savings that can be reinvested in the development of new medicines, increase access to medicines through cost reduction and drive innovations that will simplify and transform our manufacturing paradigm."

Professor Nicholas Turner, from the University of Manchester, added that challenging problems are best solved by bringing together combined expertise "to establish a world-class research hub in catalysis and sustainable chemical synthesis".