Research Consortium Reduced Pharma Production Footprint
A four-year collaborative project has developed new manufacturing techniques to lower resource use in drug production.
Updated on Oct. 8, 2026 in Chemistry
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Aimplas has concluded a four-year research initiative called Eternal, which utilized a 16-member consortium to evaluate the environmental impact of pharmaceutical manufacturing. The effort successfully tested new methods for continuous production and solvent recovery across seven industrial case studies.
Why it matters
This initiative addresses the significant energy and water demands inherent in drug manufacturing by integrating greener chemical and biotechnological processes. It provides a framework for scaling sustainable practices across the pharmaceutical lifecycle.
The project involved 16 organizations implementing twin-screw extrusion—a process using two rotating screws to mix materials—to streamline pharmaceutical manufacturing. Additionally, digital tools were developed to enable solvent reuse and predict product characteristics during nanoparticle synthesis.
The players
Aimplas
A technology center based in Valencia, Spain, specializing in plastics and polymer research for industrial applications.
AstraZeneca
A global pharmaceutical firm focused on oncology, rare diseases, and biopharmaceuticals that directed green chemistry initiatives.
Horizon Europe
The European Union's primary research and innovation funding program that provided financial support for the project.
Angelini Pharma
An international pharmaceutical company focused on central nervous system and mental health research.
UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology
A research organization studying the environmental impact of chemical contaminants in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems.
The details
The Eternal project focused on shifting traditional batch processing toward continuous manufacturing to minimize chemical waste. By deploying twin-screw extrusion, researchers effectively combined production stages, which lowered overall energy and water consumption compared to conventional methods. The consortium also applied new digital predictive models to manage solvent recycling during the creation of nanoparticles—microscopic particles used in targeted drug delivery.
Timeline
2022-2026: The four-year duration of the Eternal research project.
The Tech Race
This project aligns with the broader Horizon Europe initiative to transition European manufacturing toward circular economic models. It represents a shift from laboratory-scale green chemistry research toward validated industrial applications across the global pharmaceutical supply chain.
The transition to these technologies primarily affects pharmaceutical manufacturers and their supply chains rather than individual consumers. Healthcare providers and patients may eventually see more sustainably produced medications as these manufacturing methods scale to standard production facilities.
The takeaway
The Eternal project demonstrates that integrating twin-screw extrusion and digital modeling can reduce the resource footprint of complex drug manufacturing. Stakeholders should monitor forthcoming industry policy updates for the adoption of these greener production guidelines.
Further reading
Learn more about the latest innovations in Chemistry and their industrial applications.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Plasteurope.
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