LCA Tool for Sustainability Evaluations in the Pharmaceutical Industry

• Type: Article in International Conference Proceedings Book
• Date: 2012

Authors

Teresa M. Mata (Author) FEUP; Martins, AA (Author) Other; Belmira Neto (Author) FEUP; Martins, ML (Author) Other; Romualdo Salcedo (Author) FEUP; Carlos Costa (Author) FEUP

Conference proceedings International

Title: CISAP5: INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON SAFETY & ENVIRONMENT IN PROCESS & POWER INDUSTRY, PT 1

Pages: 261-266

5th International Conference on Safety and Environment in the Process and Power Industry (CISAP)

Milano, ITALY, JUN 03-06, 2012

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 27 Citations

Scopus - 32 Citations

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-005-3YR

DOI: 10.3303/cet1226044

Abstract (EN): This article describes an Excel based tool specifically designed to perform the life cycle assessment (LCA) and the sustainability evaluation of pharmaceutical products and /or processes. In the current state of development the tool deals with the case study of the production of a lyophilized product for intravenous injection, with an active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) produced by fermentation using genetically modified organisms. A gate-to-gate (GTG) analysis is done, considering the API production, the final product formulation, its storage and distribution, and the auxiliary operations involved. These steps are included in the aforementioned tool, and a set of sustainability indicators is proposed to make a quantitative sustainability assessment of this pharmaceutical product and process, based on the relevant impacts identified on its life cycle. Despite the limitations, the LCA and the sustainability assessment tool presented here can be easily modified to other types of pharmaceutical processes, given that good descriptions of them are available.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 6