The environmental sustainability of medicines was at the heart of the European ETERNAL project, an initiative funded by the Horizon Europe programme that brought together partners from several countries with the aim of reducing the environmental impact of pharmaceutical products throughout their entire life cycle. At the conclusion of the project, one of its most significant outcomes was the publication of the policy brief Towards a Green Pharmaceutical Future in Europe, a strategic document presenting concrete recommendations to support the transition of the European pharmaceutical industry towards more sustainable models.
CESAM/UA’s contribution to this policy brief is particularly noteworthy. Its co-authors include Susana Loureiro (UA coordinator), CESAM researcher and professor at the Department of Biology of the University of Aveiro, as well as Patrícia Veríssimo Silva and Maria Pavlaki, researchers at CESAM and the Department of Biology. This contribution highlights the institution’s active role in generating scientific knowledge with a direct impact on European policymaking and in developing solutions for a more sustainable and environmentally responsible pharmaceutical industry.
The policy brief was developed within the “Green Pharma Cluster”, which brought together the European projects ETERNAL, ENVIROMED, IMPACTIVE, SusPharma and TransPharm. The document synthesises the knowledge generated by these initiatives and presents recommendations for European policymakers aimed at accelerating the sustainable transformation of the pharmaceutical sector.
Key recommendations include the mandatory integration of “green-by-design” principles into the development of new medicines; incentives for the adoption of cleaner and more efficient manufacturing technologies; strengthened monitoring of environmental contamination by pharmaceutical residues; the promotion of circularity and sustainable waste management; and the integration of environmental sustainability into professional training and regulatory processes within the sector.
One of the document’s most significant proposals is the establishment of a harmonised system for assessing the environmental sustainability of medicines, together with transparent databases that would enable environmental criteria to be incorporated into decision-making throughout the entire life cycle of pharmaceutical products. The authors argue that technological innovation, combined with effective policies and stronger collaboration between industry, academia, regulators and citizens, will be essential to reducing the environmental footprint of medicines without compromising their quality, efficacy or safety.
The University of Aveiro and CESAM were part of the project’s international consortium, contributing to several scientific and dissemination activities carried out over the past few years. The participation of the University of Aveiro team also contributed to the advanced training of early-career researchers. During the project, Carolina Machado carried out her Master’s research in close collaboration with partner BOKU University in Austria, while PhD candidates Fábio Campos and Madalena Vieira participated in different research activities associated with the project, further strengthening the initiative’s training and international dimensions.