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Greener chemical reaction for pharmaceutical production awarded $50,000 in development funding from GreenCentre Canada
Feb. 17, 2011
KINGSTON, ON/VANCOUVER, BC -- A key chemical process used by the pharmaceutical industry has the potential to become less expensive and more energy efficient, thanks to a green chemistry discovery at the University of British Columbia.
Dr. Laurel Schafer, a professor of chemistry at UBC, has created a method and a compound that affects a crucial chemical reaction in drug production. Current methods of producing this reaction are costly because they are energy-intensive and require multiple steps that generate waste.
Dr. Schafer’s technology reduces extra steps, is energy-efficient and reduces waste byproducts. It also uses less expensive reagents, substances that react with other substances to produce chemical products.
Recognizing the green promise in Dr. Schafer’s work, GreenCentre Canada has awarded Dr. Schafer $50,000 in Proof of Principle funding to pursue further development of her technology.
“This specific reaction has been identified by the pharmaceutical industry as having the highest impact and being more cost-effective in terms of green manufacturing,” says Jonathan Sargent, Commercial Development Director at GreenCentre. “With its emphasis on fewer steps, less purification and non-toxic chemicals, Dr. Schafer’s work shows potential as the answer to this industry challenge.”
GreenCentre’s funding will enable Dr. Schafer and her team to develop a variety of compounds, and to test their effectiveness in the production of real-world drugs.
“We are delighted to be partnering with GreenCentre to help advance UBC’s outstanding research in green chemistry to commercial reality,” says Dr. Brett Sharp, Director of Operations at UBC’s University-Industry Liaison Office (UILO). “Commercializing early-stage research discoveries is becoming increasingly challenging, but GreenCentre’s ability to identify industry needs and develop academic research outputs provides a critical component of this process.”
To date, GreenCentre has awarded more than $200,000 in Proof of Principle funding to eight researchers at seven universities across Canada. Funded projects include energy-efficient compounds for removing CO2 from industrial gas emissions, the development of organic superconducting polymers and a green method for removing harmful metals from industrial wastewater.
GreenCentre expects to award up to 25 funding grants annually in support of technologies that have strong commercialization potential but require further basic research or testing before they can be reassessed for market value.
Contacts:
Mary Anne Beaudette
Director, Communications
GreenCentre Canada
P: 613-507-4700 ext. 129
C: 613-483-5000
E: Maryanne.beaudette@greencentrecanada.com
Jamie Hall
Communications Officer
University-Industry Liaison Office
The University of British Columbia
P: 604-822-1267
E: Jamie.Hall@uilo.ubc.ca
About GreenCentre Canada:
GreenCentre Canada is a national Centre of Excellence for commercializing early-stage Green Chemistry discoveries generated by academic researchers and industry. Funded by the Province of Ontario and the Government of Canada, and industry, GreenCentre Canada is dedicated to developing environmentally friendly alternatives to traditional chemical and manufacturing products and practices. It is governed and operated with the assistance of industry members from across the chemical value chain. The centre is located at Innovation Park at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, Canada.
About UBC:
The University of British Columbia (UBC) is one of North America’s largest public research and teaching institutions, and one of only two Canadian institutions consistently ranked among the world’s 40 best universities. Surrounded by the beauty of the Canadian West, it is a place that inspires bold, new ways of thinking that have helped make it a national leader in areas as diverse as community service learning, sustainability and research commercialization. UBC offers more than 55,000 students a range of innovative programs and attracts $550 million per year in research funding from government, non-profit organizations and industry through 7,000 grants.
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