Sustainable Drug Discovery and Development with End-of-Life Yield (SUDDEN)

Public description of the results at the end of the project

SUDDEN project aimed at reducing the environmental hazards related to the life cycle of pharmaceuticals. The overall objective was to promote environmentally sustainable pharmaceutical policies and the development of environmentally friendly medicines for the future. Research at SUDDEN identified technologies that better eliminate drug residues from wastewater and sewage sludge, and indicators that measure the effect of drug residues on other species. These indicators could inform early-stage drug design in the search for less harmful medicines. Additionally, the value chains of pharmaceutical packaging were examined, and new technologies were developed that enable recycling of the most valuable materials involved. According to a survey made in SUDDEN, the population in Finland is willing to switch to more environmentally conscious use of medicines addressing the importance of the sustainable healthcare systems in the society at large.

Public description of the goals at the beginning of the project

The ecological risks related to pharmaceutical emissions are an increasing concern both locally and globally. Hormonal and antibiotic residues are particularly harmful even at very low concentrations. Current societal transformations incl. urbanization, population growth and ageing, contribute to the accumulation of pharmaceuticals in the environment at an accelerated pace. The SUDDEN project tackles the environmental hazards and sustainability challenges related to drug manufacturing, consumption, and end-of-life. The project aims to enhance the benign-by-design drug discovery, bridge the gaps in the legal framework of global production chains of pharmaceuticals, redesign modern wastewater purification and reuse of the sewage sludge, and introduce circular economy models to pharmaceutical packaging materials with a view to developing a Life Cycle Impact Assessment model to drug products and supporting the economic growth of sustainable pharmaceutical industry and services in Finland.