PodTech™️: fostering greener pharma manufacturing for sustainable healthcare and disease management in LMICs
Amidst the focus on much-required medical advancements, the environmental impact of pharmaceutical production has often escaped scrutiny. The discourse of greener pharma manufacturing for sustainable healthcare encompasses critical issues such as environmental pollution due to pharmaceutical production and negative effects on ecosystems.
Forbes, in December 2021, highlighted a significant concern that the pharmaceutical industry has largely evaded scrutiny for its environmental impact. Research from McMaster University in 2019 revealed alarming statistics, indicating that the 15 largest pharmaceutical manufacturers emitted 55% more carbon dioxide equivalents per million dollars of revenue in 2015 compared to the automotive sector during the Paris Agreement. The consequence is the emergence of environmentally persistent pharmaceutical pollutants (EPPPs), non-degradable waste products adversely affecting ecosystems from plants to wildlife.
Regulatory advancements: SEC’s role in shaping the industry
The narrative, however, holds promise for change. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change’s Race to Zero emissions-cutting initiative has rallied 15 major pharmaceutical and medical technology companies to reduce emissions across their value chains by adopting renewable energy strategies. The focus is on crucial strategies like zero-emissions buildings, eco-friendly transport, and the production of low-carbon pharmaceuticals to drive down sector emissions. Simultaneously, the United Nations Environment Programme is actively engaged in identifying EPPPs hotspot locations, promoting better disposal methods for unwanted medicines, and studying the impact of EPPPs on non-target organisms.
Moreover, the recently proposed SEC rule to enhance and standardise climate-related disclosures is poised to encourage pharmaceutical companies, especially those eyeing future IPOs, to elevate their Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) practices.
Global commitments: aligning with Paris Agreement goals of greener pharma manufacturing for sustainable healthcare
Aligned with the overarching goals of the Paris Agreement, the pharmaceutical industry faces a collective responsibility to limit global warming. Companies can adhere to standards set by organisations like the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), committing to reducing emissions within a specified timeframe. Additionally, scrutinising supply chains through initiatives like the Pharmaceutical Supply Chain Initiative, which focuses on ESG-related areas, ensures responsible management and fosters better conditions across the industry.
PodTech™️: Paving the way for reduced environmental impact pharma industry and disease management
As a biopharma innovator, PodTech™️ has employed its inventive ways to create modular biopharma facilities called podules™️. Greener pharma manufacturing for sustainable healthcare is no longer an elusive goal with PodTech™️. It has opened avenues for regional pharmaceutical and biotech manufacturing capabilities, empowering governments and visionary entrepreneurs to forge their path to regional self-sufficiency. Particularly impactful in regions traditionally excluded from the global pharmaceutical landscape, PodTech™️ invites stakeholders to be pioneers in shaping a sustainable future. By addressing key issues such as the environmental impact of the pharmaceutical industry and the need for disease management, PodTech™️ offers a transformative opportunity to change the world, fostering a more sustainable and inclusive pharmaceutical landscape.
PodTech™️: Empowering LMICs and reducing negative effects of pharmaceutical industry
The pharmaceutical and life sciences sector, especially in LMICs, faces the challenge of responding to various public health threats, including infectious diseases like COVID-19, MERS, SARS, Ebola, Zika, and others. Mostly because the innovation in this context may not always align with traditional commercial models and industry competition. But in the post-pandemic world, the industry’s expertise, networks, and infrastructure position it as an indispensable partner in finding life-saving solutions in the underserved part of the world.
However, the focus mustn’t also shift from the need for sustainable and scalable incentives for pharmaceutical innovation in addressing infectious disease threats beyond immediate crises. It underscores the importance of industry engagement in areas such as environmental pollution due to pharmaceutical production and other negative effects of pharmaceutical industry.
This calls for proactive planning, incentives, and regulatory frameworks to prevent and mitigate future global health crises. The socially responsible practices within the industry, where companies prioritise public health benefits over commercial gains, such as the commitment of PodTech™️ to improving the landscape of pharma manufacturing in LMICs. Efficient disease management involves timely access to pharmaceuticals, vaccines, and diagnostics, requiring a robust and flexible biopharma manufacturing solution. PodTech™️ emerges as a revolutionary answer, offering a plug-and-play biopharma manufacturing revolution tailored to the unique demands of LMICs.
PodTech™️’s prefabricated factory system is composed of self-contained podule™ clusters that can be swiftly scaled to meet specific requirements and diminish environmental pollution due to pharmaceutical production. Each podule™ is fully equipped with essential components, including air handling, building management systems, fire protection, and utilities, enclosed in air-tight containers rigorously tested and validated for immediate deployment. The efficiency of PodTech™️ allows up to 50% savings on project schedules compared to traditional construction methods, ensuring minimal disruption to existing operations and reduced negative effects of pharmaceutical industry.
The adaptability of PodTech™️ is a game-changer for LMICs, offering flexibility, scalability, easy relocation to swiftly respond to changing market conditions and creating greener pharma manufacturing for sustainable healthcare. By making nations self-sufficient in biopharma manufacturing, PodTech™️ empowers governments and entrepreneurs in regions historically excluded from the global pharmaceutical market, reducing the environmental impact pharma industry and disease management. Moreover, the optional technology licenses and sharing opportunities for various pharmaceutical products facilitate the establishment of regional self-sufficiency.
In times of public health emergencies and the negative effects of pharmaceutical industry being a matter of global concern, PodTech™️ is a crucial asset, enhancing the region’s capability to respond rapidly. Moreover, its contribution extends to supporting economic development by creating jobs and fortifying the resilience and sustainability of healthcare systems. The standardised specifications of PodTech™️, encompassing various applications such as small molecules, APIs, biopharmaceuticals, vaccines, and rapid response solutions for biodefence and pandemics, demonstrate its versatility.
Standard podules™: versatility and efficiency
The standard podules™️ within PodTech™️ cover a wide range of applications, from gene therapy and small-scale cell therapy to 3D printing, research and development, diagnostics, labs, and testing. The unidirectional and bidirectional personnel and material flow, along with features like modular prefab construction, air handling systems, and fire suppression, make PodTech™️ an integrated and efficient solution. Furthermore, standard inclusions such as automation, engineering, project management, and comprehensive qualification documentation ensure a seamless and quality manufacturing process.
PodTech™️ emerges as a transformative force, not only streamlining biopharma manufacturing and serving as a catalyst for self-sufficiency, economic growth, and effective disease management in LMICs but also allowing greener pharma manufacturing for sustainable healthcare.