Trimming synthetic peptide and oligonucleotide waste-lines

This review article highlights the need for the development of synthetic peptide and oligonucleotide manufacturing processes with improved sustainability credentials. These therapeutic classes are fast growing and have the potential to deliver multiple high volume products over the next decade. While there have been significant technical innovations in the past few years there is limited evidence for adoption of these new technologies in manufacturing, which still largely rely on traditional approaches that generate large quantities of waste and use many chemicals of concern. Examples of strategies that could improve the environmental footprint for peptides include Tag-Assisted Liquid-Phase Peptide Synthesis, Hybrid Solid/Liquid Phase Peptide Synthesis and the implementation of continuous processes. For oligonucleotides, convergent liquid-phase synthesis and enzyme-catalyzed synthesis strategies are highlighted which have potential for significant positive environmental improvement if incorporated into the development lifecycle. To guide development, the collection of baseline sustainability metrics such as Process Mass Intensity is recommended.