The research aims to further development of more sustainable alternatives to pharma manufacturing processes. GSK and the Singapore economic development board (EDB) have committed to furthering research into this area by partnering to invest in suitable projects.
The partners have allocated US$3.5m (€2.8m) to eight research projects. Areas covered by the project include alternative amide synthesis, minimising use of petrochemicals and development of single-step crystallisation processes.
“With this inaugural initiative, Singapore will be able to drive towards a sustainable manufacturing sector and serve as a magnet for the world’s top talent in green and sustainable manufacture”, said Christopher Dobson, vice president, global manufacturing and supply Singapore, GSK.
Andrew Witty, CEO of GSK, said the investment will help Singapore become a leader in green pharma production. For GSK, and other firms operating in Singapore, the investment will help minimise the materials, energy and waste associated with their global operations, said Witty.
“It is GSK’s wish that this investment will encourage more open exchange amongst the best research minds from all over the world and greater R&D collaborations”, said Dobson.
Partnership
Research will be performed by eight principal investigators from the Institute of Chemical and Engineering Sciences (ICES), Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and the National University of Singapore (NUS).
Funding the research projects forms part of a broader, 10-year strategic plan formed by GSK and Singapore to address challenges facing the pharma industry and co-create solutions.
This includes the GSK-Singapore Partnership for Green and Sustainable Manufacturing that has been allocated US$24m to promote development of alternative production methods. In total, the partners have put forward US$35m to further sustainable production and healthcare policy.