Globalization of green chemistry within the pharmaceutical industry - Advancements and opportunities

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Ingrid Mergelsberg

Merck Co., Inc., USA

: Expert Opin Environ Biol

Abstract

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The pharmaceutical industry will be expected to affordably meet the needs of patients while minimizing our environmental footprint. This means that we must improve on balancing the social, environmental and economic needs of our society across generations. Currently the world’s population is projected to increase to about 9 billion people; a population that would require the resources of approximately 2.3 earths to support our current rate of consumption. Pragmatically, this demand must drive transformational innovation in energy efficiency, manufacturing practices and travel. Good science is the key to sustainability, green chemistry and low cost manufacturing across the globe. If we focus on developing the best chemistry, then almost always, this leads to the lowest cost and greenest process. Education, collaboration across industries, and innovation are the keys to advancing Green Chemistry. We must think differently in order to meet our future needs, and several examples from across different industries will be shared. In the end, the sustainability of the pharmaceutical industry is dependent on the sustainability of our global population. The two are inextricably linked, and we need to embrace this linkage to be successful in delivering lifesaving medicines to our customers.

Biography

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Ingrid Mergelsberg has completed her PhD in Organic Chemistry from the Albert Ludwig University in Freiburg, Germany and her postdoctoral studies from the Rochester University, NY and Hoffmann LaRoche in Basel, Switzerland. She has published more than 30 papers and patents and has 27 years of experience in Chemical Development within the Pharmaceutical Industry always looking for opportunities to integrate the principles of green chemistry and engineering into the business of drug discovery and productions. She currently is a Director of Process Chemistry at Merck. She has served as a co-chair of the ACS Green Chemistry Institute Pharmaceutical Roundtable for two years and is currently leading the Green Chemistry working group and co-chairing the API (Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient) leadership group at the International Consortium for Innovation and Quality in the Pharmaceutical Industry (IQ Consortium).

Email: ingrid.mergelsberg@merck.com