Recently, the Huang Dechun/ Dong Bin from the School of Engineering, in collaboration with experts from Leiden University in the Netherlands, Imperial College London in the UK, New York University in the US, and the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), published a research paper titled “Divergent Sustainability Profiles of Molnupiravir Synthesis Routes Are Governed by Solvent Use and Process Design” in the top-tier multidisciplinary journal PNAS (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences). This paper proposes an innovative framework for sustainable pharmaceutical production. By integrating Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) with Life Cycle Cost Analysis (LCC), it systematically quantifies for the first time the carbon footprint and economic performance of nine synthetic routes for the broad-spectrum antiviral drug Molnupiravir, thereby evaluating their sustainability and dual-carbon impacts. Associate Professor Dong Bin, Researcher Justin Lian from Leiden University in the Netherlands, and Professor Stefano Cucurachi are the co-corresponding authors. Chen Zhengyun, a 2022 master's student at our university, is the first author, with China Pharmaceutical University listed as the first corresponding institution.
The study's modular LCA framework covers the entire chain from raw material sourcing to the factory gate. It reveals for the first time that scaling up production is a key strategy for balancing sustainability. This approach is not only applicable to evaluating antiviral drugs but also provides a transferable green decision-making tool for the global pharmaceutical industry. This finding suggests that sustainable breakthroughs in pharmaceutical manufacturing require embedding life-cycle thinking from the molecular design stage, achieving dual wins of carbon reduction and cost reduction through process optimization.
Previously, the team published a review titled “Application of Life Cycle Assessment in the Pharmaceutical Industry: A Critical Review” in the top-tier green manufacturing journal Journal of Cleaner Production. This work attracted the attention of Arnold Tukker, UN expert on green economy promotion and resources and Professor of Sustainability at Leiden University in the Netherlands. His team visited the School of Engineering on August 8, 2024, for collaborative discussions.
This series of work was supported by the China College Student Innovation and Entrepreneurship Training Program (2024 No. 345; 2025 University-level Project) and the EU LIFE-GREENAPI Project (No. 101114152). Special thanks to Professors Dai Lin and Le Long for their support and guidance in this field.
Article link: https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2502336122
