Impactive: sustainable pharmaceutical chemistry

[Article] - Published on February 24, 2023 in Programs

Producing molecules of pharmaceutical interest more ecologically, economically and efficiently - these are the objectives of the European Horizon Impactive project, led by the University of Montpellier and coordinated by chemist Evelina Colacino of the Charles Gerhardt Institute. This large-scale project proposes mechanochemistry as a breakthrough technology capable of accompanying the evolution of the pharmaceutical industry.

It's one of the most polluting industries in the world, with a carbon footprint larger than that of the automotive sector. How can we reduce the pharmaceutical industry's environmental impact while remaining innovative and competitive? For Evelina Colacino, the answer lies in mechanochemistry, a technology that frees us from the highly polluting solvents used in traditional chemistry to synthesize molecules of pharmaceutical interest, the very ones that form the basis of the active ingredients in our medicines.

These solvents facilitate contact between products, allowing the different molecules to interact. Problem: these substances are highly polluting. " Solvents account for 80% of the waste generated by the production of molecules," explains Evelina Colacino. Doing without them is therefore an ecological necessity, and mechanochemistry is the alternative of choice. The principle is to "mix" molecules by applying mechanical forces using beads, reactive extrusion or acoustic activation, in the absence of solvents, to create molecules of interest. This technology has been successfully used in other industrial sectors (aeronautics, cosmetics, fertilizers, etc.), and now Impactive is going to validate its use in the pharmaceutical industry.

An international project

It's a technology that chemist Evelina Colacino of Montpellier's Charles Gerhardt Institute has been working on for years, and one that's gaining in popularity, as demonstrated by the success of the Impactive project (Innovative mechanochemical processes to synthesize green activepharmaceutical ingredients) supported by the University of Montpellier. 7.7 million ," explains the project leader. It shows that Europe is very attentive to these issues, and has been for several years ".

Because mechanochemistry not only promises a cleaner, more competitive pharmaceutical industry. " Not only does it cut the use of solvents by 85% and reduce the_CO2 generated by chemical reactions, but mechanochemistry, which requires less energy, also cuts production costs by 12% and can make us more competitive," emphasizes the chemist.

A reduction in production costs could be combined with a reduction in import costs, as another challenge for the sector is to relocate part of the production currently concentrated in Asia in particular. We saw this during the Covid crisis, when certain drugs manufactured in China were out of supply, even though they are essential to patient health," recalls Evelina Colacino. One of Impactive's major challenges is to make Europe more independent in the face of certain geopolitical issues, for example. In this respect, this European research project has a real socio-economic impact in addition to its scientific impact.

Sustainable innovation

Manufacturers in the sector have also shown a keen interest in this technology. "In addition to universities and research centers, the project's 17 partners include SMEs as well as Merck and Novartis, the latter bringing an in-house vision of these issues. We also need to be aware of their difficulties, so that we can bring our research into line with these constraints ", explains the researcher.

Mechanochemistry also offers great potential for innovation compared with traditional chemistry. " Certain compounds are not soluble and cannot be mixed using solvents, so mechanochemistry can solve some of the synthesis problems encountered to date. To achieve this, Impactive brings together specialists from a number of disciplines: " researchers in organic synthesis, process chemistry, physical chemistry... these highly diversified challenges call for a wide range of skills ". They are all pooling their knowledge to generate nothing less than a more sustainable, independent, competitive and autonomous European pharmaceutical industry.