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By Vittoria Valentine and Isamir Martinez, ACS GCI
At ACS Fall 2025, the ACS Green Chemistry Institute Pharmaceutical Roundtable (GCIPR) marked two decades of impact by hosting a summit dedicated to advancing U.N. Sustainable Development Goal 3: Good Health and Well-Being through sustainable chemical innovation. Held at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, the event brought together leaders from industry, academia, and government to explore how green chemistry is transforming the development and production of medicines.
The summit opened with a compelling case study on the green and sustainable development of a GLP-1 therapeutic, followed by a series of expert presentations that highlighted cutting-edge research and real-world applications. Dr. Michael Kopach of Eli Lilly presented Retatrutide, a novel triagonist for metabolic disorders, and shared advancements in chemistry, manufacturing, and controls (CMC) that are enabling more sustainable drug development. Dr. Callie Bryan of Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine detailed their green chemistry initiatives, particularly in peptide synthesis, emphasizing how early-stage discovery chemistry can drive long-term environmental benefits. Dr. Juan Colberg of Pfizer discussed the power of cross-industry collaboration in advancing green chemistry and environmental sustainability, underscoring the importance of shared tools and metrics.
After a networking break, Dr. Raymond Sarksian of Amgen presented sustainability metrics targeting industrial peptide synthesis, offering practical insights into how data-driven approaches are improving process efficiency. Dr. Patrick Moon of Merck & Co. followed with a talk on sustainability strategies in the development of antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) linkers, a critical component in targeted cancer therapies. The day concluded with a keynote by Professor Frank Gupton of Virginia Commonwealth University, who spoke on the transformative impact of green chemistry on global access to essential medicines.
A panel discussion moderated by Dr. Isamir Martinez of ACS GCI brought together Gupton, Kopach, Bryan, and Colberg to reflect on how sustainable chemistry can drive progress toward a healthier world. The session emphasized the need for a holistic, systems-level approach to pharmaceutical innovation that considers people and the environment.
The summit concluded with a celebratory poster session and reception, marking 20 years of impact by the ACS GCI Pharmaceutical Roundtable. During the poster session, graduate students presented their work in green chemistry, fostering new collaborations and highlighting the next generation of sustainable science leaders.
Practical Green Chemistry Tools and Techniques for Research & Development Scientists
In addition to the summit, ACS Fall 2025 featured a Green Chemistry Tools and Metrics Workshop, designed to equip R&D chemists, engineers, and graduate students with practical tools to implement sustainable practices. Organized by Dr. Isamir Martinez, the workshop was led by Dr. Patrick Moon, Dr. Scott France (Merck & Co., Inc.), and Dr. Christopher Chabot (Pfizer). Twenty participants explored green chemistry fundamentals, widely used tools and metrics in pharmaceutical and allied industries, and real-world case studies.
“It was inspiring, like always, to see how practical strategies and case studies from industry leaders can guide us in reducing environmental impact while driving innovation!” says participant Sara T. Yazdi, research assistant and PhD candidate in Macromolecular Science and Engineering at Virginia Tech.
Driving Sustainability in Pharma and Allied Industries – Cambridge
The momentum continues! Next stop: Cambridge, Massachusetts. Join the ACS GCI Pharmaceutical Roundtable and leading industry and academic scientists for a day of scientific discussion and networking at the Takeda site in Cambridge on October 16, 2025. Discover practical green chemistry tools and metrics used by industry and learn from current research and case studies covering topics such as biocatalysis, peptide synthesis, and discovery chemistry (small molecules and other modalities, chemical technologies). Sign up to present your research in our poster session and help the Roundtable celebrate its 20th anniversary. Lunch, afternoon tea/coffee, and reception included. Participation from students, academia, and industry is welcome.
For more information, visit: https://acsgcipr.org/learning/events/driving-sustainability-in-pharma-and-allied-industries-cambridg...