The Role of Green Chemistry in Generic Drug Development: A Sustainable Approach to Medicine

The global pharmaceutical industry is a significant carbon emitter, with potential to increase emissions by over 300% by 2050. Green chemistry, designed to reduce hazardous substances, is key to addressing this. Companies like Pfizer have been using green chemistry in drug development for two decades, leading to a 19% waste reduction. The GREENER concept focuses on environmentally friendly active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) to reduce medicinal residues. Green chemistry also has prospective benefits for sustainable generic drug development.