SUDDEN
SUDDEN is a research project that aims at reducing the environmental hazards related to the life cycle of pharmaceuticals.
What is SUDDEN?
The environmental impacts of pharmaceuticals are a growing global problem. Whilst societies become increasingly urbanized and the world population grows in size and age, the use of pharmaceuticals and thus the chemical burden upon the environment increases. Emissions are produced throughout a pharmaceutical’s life cycle, from development to production, consumption and disposal.
SUDDEN, short for Sustainable Drug Discovery and Development with End-of-Life Yield, is a research project that aims at reducing the environmental hazards related to the life cycle of pharmaceuticals. The project’s other objective is to enhance the sustainability of the pharmaceutical industry. We wish to create possibilities for sustainable growth by solving environmental issues related to the life cycle of pharmaceuticals.
Moreover, SUDDEN will develop tools, solutions and policy recommendations which will create possibilities for sustainable growth by solving environmental issues in the life-cycle of a pharmaceutical.
SUDDEN is funded by the Strategic Research Council of the Academy of Finland from 2018 to 2021 and from 2022 to 2023. The project is carried out by the University of Helsinki, University of Eastern Finland, Lappeenranta-Lahti University of Technology LUT, Aalto University, Finnish Environment Institute and Demos Helsinki.
To reach our goal we will develop:
1.
Tools for recognizing the environmental impacts of active pharmaceutical ingredients and their transformation products as well as for assessing pharmaceuticals’ environmental risk. Our goal is that in the future the least environmentally harmful compounds can be selected for drug development.
2.
Policy recommendations that further environmentally friendly decision making and support a sustainable pharmaceutical industry. We aim at enhancing regulation on the environmental emissions of pharmaceuticals and the transparency of production chains.
3.
Circular economy solutions that increase the effectiveness of the recycling of pharmaceutical packing materials and the utilization of wastewater sludge. We want to diminish waste streams that result from medical use.
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