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Centrient calls for self-regulation in the absence of govt rules to check pollution from API manufacturing
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Nandita Vijay, Bengaluru
July 23 , 2021
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Centrient Pharmaceuticals says that the APIs (active pharmaceutical ingredients) manufacturing process can cause pollution if stringent treatment measures are not in place. The company has called for self-regulation with the government’s draft rules on concentration limits of antibiotics in pharmaceutical effluents yet to be finalized.
Munish Aggarwal, associate director, technical operations, Centrient Pharmaceuticals told Pharmabiz, “The world is afflicted with problems like water, soil degradation and climate change, etc. The pharma industry saves lives by producing medicines. However, it is undoing its good work by being a polluter too. The discharge of untreated effluents into the water and soil laden with chemicals, especially residual antibiotic compounds, poses a threat to animal, human, and environmental health, causing antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Here, we see the need for innovation by pharma companies to find greener ways to manufacture APIs.”
When it comes to environmentally responsible manufacturing practices, we have focused on improving of our production technologies by investing significantly on innovation which has enabled us to move from conventional chemical synthesis to sustainable enzymatic manufacturing processes, he added.
Early this year, The Netherlands-based India arm of Centrient Pharmaceuticals with its corporate office in Gurugram and production plant at Toansa engaged in beta-lactam antibiotics, next-generation statins and anti-fungals manufacture launched a sustainability strategy 2030.
“We look much beyond the regulatory compliance and our objective is to mitigate climate change, become carbon neutral by 2030. All our sites are ISO- 14001 accredited. We are member of stellar sustainability platforms like PSCI, AMR IA and adher to their principles. We are the industry leader when it comes to combating AMR by responsibly treating the waste water, noted Manjit Singh, associate director, corporate sustainability, Centrient Pharmaceuticals.
Further, each of our sites is equipped with a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) that runs 24/7 365 days a year to ensure that no untreated wastewater leaves our premises. We also comply with local regulations for the safe disposal of solid waste. The company has developed analytical capabilities to detect antibiotic contents at ppb (Parts per billion) level in wastewater, Singh stated.
All its plants globally manufacture APIs through the greener or enzymatic technology. Our semi-synthetic penicillin (SSP) API product range is compliant to the Predicted No-Effect Concentration (PNEC) discharge targets set by the AMR Industry Alliance. Our PureActive API technology eliminates the use of solvents and hazardous chemicals to produce environment-friendly APIs with a reduced carbon footprint of up to 65%, said Aggarwal.
Obtaining permissions from State Pollution Control Board has not been a problem since we have adopted transparent practices and stringent and sustainable measures. The State Pollution Control Board has always supported us in our endeavors. The SPCB’s confidence in us is also driven by our adherence to government regulations, quality and environmental accreditations, pointed out Aggarwal.
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