safe and sustainable by design

The pharmaceutical industry is currently experiencing increasing demand for small-molecule drugs. However, a significant portion of the raw materials used in drug production are fossil-based, originating from crude oil. This reliance on non-renewable resources presents major challenges, particularly in the context of global environmental crises such as climate change, greenhouse gas emissions, and dwindling oil reserves.

Climate change and chemical pollution are interdependent planetary threats, but climate change mitigation efforts typically do not consider chemicals and materials. This may exacerbate chemical pollution and associated harm to human and environmental health. Because most chemicals and materials are currently derived from petrochemicals, the extraction of fossil fuels cannot be limited without transitioning chemical manufacturing to different carbon sources. However, simply changing the carbon source is insufficient and could exacerbate the biodiversity crisis.