ABSTRACT
As part of the desire to increase access to affordable medicines,
the generic pharmaceutical industry has experienced explosive
growth. Predictably, the emergence of such large-scale production
has come with a significant environmental cost, a result of the
industry’s wasteful practices and highly unfavorable E-factors.1-5
Due to a lack of innovation in the form of green chemistry, the
multifold production of generic versions of active pharmaceutical
ingredients (APIs) typically yields exorbitant amounts of waste and
contributes to an unbearable environmental burden. Considering
the existing environmental scenario, it is clear that most of the
generic manufacturers may not have taken green chemistry metrics
into consideration when designing their chemistry or processes.
This unfortunate situation, largely grounded in ignorance, deprived
an exercise in the best possible chemistry and led to the creation
of untold amounts of waste. Developing green chemistry-driven
syntheses and processes is extremely challenging and time consum-
ing. Frequently, scientists working in the generic industry generally
adopt the easier, but more wasteful and less time-consuming, ways
to deliver the product to be first in the market or enjoy the 180
days exclusivity afforded to the first-filing generic company. In the
end, sustainability and the green chemistry principles are often
neglected, creating an imbalance between the environment and the
world economy.
