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Case Study

A research and development team at Stevenage worked with our Cork site to achieve substantial environmental benefits by developing a simplified process for manufacturing Dutasteride, a treatment for benign prostatic hyperplasia. The project moved from conception to commercial scale in a little over a year and will continue to deliver benefits over the lifetime of the drug – to at least 2015.

The new process:

• improved the material efficiency from 1 per cent to 3.7 per cent, saving up to £5.7 million/year
• saves energy – the chemical reaction now requires only four hours at 86°C compared to 22 hours at 100°C previously
• vastly reduces the use of solvent and therefore waste
• a 70 per cent reduction in waste, which avoids up to 80 tonnes of waste per annum
• is more robust than the previous process, resulting in less waste through failed batches
• reduces exposure of employees to hazardous materials

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