Case Study

Materials efficiency

GSK’s Research and Development site at Tonbridge, UK, has dramatically improved the material efficiency in developing a robust manufacturing process for an antiretroviral compound for treating HIV.

The original process required substantial energy, both in manufacturing and for dealing with waste. It also used a hazardous solvent (Dimethylformamide) and acid (Methanesulfonic). The final process, which is based on the same chemistry, does not use these hazardous materials.

The new process increased mass efficiency from 2.2% to 2.7% (an increase of 23%) because the Tonbridge team identified more effective reagents – which may also be potential substitutes in other GSK processes. .

The process requires 16% less energy than the original route because the cycle time is shorter and it uses lower processing temperatures. a reduction in contaminated aqueous waste also results in significant energy savings because this waste requires energy-intensive incineration. Tonbridge estimates that the new process requires only two-thirds of the incineration energy for waste disposal, which at peak production rates could avoid 600,000 kg of carbon dioxide emissions a year – equivalent to driving an average family car more than two million miles.

Tonbridge won first place in the Green Chemistry/Technology section of our EHS Excellence Awards for its work on this process.