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The Biggest Challenge to Sustainability
Raw materials are the cornerstone of any industry’s manufacturing process, providing the vital elements needed to produce a completely new product for consumption. The biggest challenge to the pharmaceutical industry’s quest for sustainability to date remains the sustainable and ethical sourcing of these vital components of pharmaceutical manufacturing, the raw materials we depend on as an industry to produce treatments and vaccines that save billions of lives every year around the globe. Overharvesting has become a growing challenge in the industry, as the need to meet the growing demand for certain medications has led to the overexploitation of natural resources, resulting in the overharvesting of critical plants like the European Yew (Taxus baccata), used in the production of cancer treatments. The depletion of natural resources like these has raised concerns across the industry, prompting pharmaceutical companies to reconsider their approaches to harvesting and resource extraction as they seek synthetic alternatives and invest more in sustainable practices such as controlled cultivation. To meet regulatory demands, these companies have also begun to exercise more responsible sourcing by working with select suppliers who follow fair trade practices and have environmental standards that align with theirs, ensuring sourced materials are extracted without causing harm to local communities or the environment.
What Else Are Pharmaceutical Companies Doing?
To better align with regulatory practices and good manufacturing practices, pharmaceutical companies have accelerated their sustainable production efforts by integrating innovative strategies such as the use of biotechnology to enable lab-based synthesis of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), relieving pressure on the environment and endangered or protected plant species. The circular economy has also seen great success in the industry, as practices such as recycling and reclaiming solvents have helped minimize resource exploitation and lower the environmental cost of pharmaceutical production. The use of alternative resources has also helped protect animals, who for decades have been used in the industry to meet the various needs of pharma production. Coupled with these efforts, which are already bearing fruit, the push toward better supply chain transparency and strict adherence to environmental and social governance will go a long way in ensuring sustainability not just within the confines of our industry but around the world on a global scale.
Other Challenges to the Industry’s Sustainability Goals
Sustainability in the life sciences has clear benefits that will impact the industry and the environment for decades to come. However, despite these benefits, some challenges still hover over the industry, impeding sustainability, such as pharma's heavy reliance on complex global supply chains, which means resources have to travel thousands of miles before reaching the factory, leading to high carbon emissions. Although we have explored alternatives earlier, such as biotechnological synthesis and green chemistry, these approaches require a substantial investment, not just in monetary terms but also in research, infrastructure, and training. While it may be difficult, if not impossible, to replace international suppliers with local suppliers of key resources for obvious reasons, pharmaceutical companies can explore alternative transportation methods and invest in low-emission transportation solutions.
What’s Next From Here?
From what we have discussed, it is quite evident that the future of the pharmaceutical industry hinges on balancing innovation with sustainability, which means pharmaceutical companies have to think of these practices not just as tactics to remain compliant, but as long-term strategic initiatives that drive both environmental responsibility and business growth. The EU's enforcement of stricter regulations to protect the environment, people, and animals, along with its efforts to make pharmaceutical manufacturing more efficient, including the EU’s sustainable supply chain directive, among other regulations, will go a long way in pushing pharma companies toward ethical and sustainable sourcing of raw materials and better manufacturing practices, both today and for years to come.
