BIO Congratulates Members for Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Awards

June 13, 2017

The 22nd Presidential Green
Chemistry Challenge Awards Recognize Biotechnology Companies for Efforts
to Reduce Pollution

WASHINGTON–(BUSINESS WIRE)–#EO13777–The Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO) today congratulated
member companies Merck & Co., Inc., Amgen Inc., and Dow Chemical Company
for receiving 2017 Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Awards. The
awards, given by the EPA, recognize company innovation and
biotechnology’s contribution to reducing pollution.

“We are thrilled to congratulate Merck & Co., Inc., Amgen Inc., and Dow
Chemical Company for their innovative work using biotechnology to reduce
pollution,” said Jim Greenwood, President and CEO of BIO. “BIO’s members
are on the cutting edge of technology, developing products that help
heal, feed and fuel the world – and reducing environmental impact at the
same time.”

Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Awards have been issued by the
Environmental Protection Agency each year since 1996. Of the 114 annual
awards given, 40 have been given to biotechnology and biobased
applications. For more information, visit
BIO.org.

Merck Research Laboratories in Rahway, New Jersey, is being recognized
for successfully applying green chemistry design principles to
Letermovir, an antiviral drug candidate that is currently in phase III
clinical trials. The improvements to the way the drug is made, including
use of a better chemical catalyst, increases the overall yield by more
than 60%, reduces raw material costs by 93%, and reduces water usage by
90%.

Amgen Inc. in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is being recognized in
partnership with Bachem, Switzerland, for improving the process used to
manufacture the active ingredient in Parsabiv™, a drug for the treatment
of secondary hyperparathyroidism in adult patients with chronic kidney
disease. This improved peptide manufacturing process reduces chemical
solvent use by 71%, manufacturing operating time by 56%, and
manufacturing cost by 76%. These innovations could reduce costs and
eliminate 1,440 cubic meters of waste or more, including over 750 cubic
meters of aqueous waste annually.

Dow Chemical Company in Collegeville, Pennsylvania, is being recognized
in partnership with Papierfabrik August Koehler SE, Germany, for
developing a thermal printing paper that eliminates the need for
chemicals, such as bisphenol A (BPA) or bisphenol S (BPS), used to
create an image. Thermal paper is used broadly throughout the world for
cash register receipts, tickets, tags, and labels. This technology
reduces costs by creating records that do not fade, even under severe
sunlight, allowing the original document to be preserved for long term
storage. The paper is compatible with thermal printers currently in
commercial use around the world.

About BIO

BIO is the world’s largest trade association representing biotechnology
companies, academic institutions, state biotechnology centers and
related organizations across the United States and in more than 30 other
nations. BIO members are involved in the research and development of
innovative healthcare, agricultural, industrial and environmental
biotechnology products. BIO also produces the BIO International
Convention, the world’s largest gathering of the biotechnology industry,
along with industry-leading investor and partnering meetings held around
the world. BIOtechNOW
is BIO’s blog chronicling “innovations transforming our world” and the
BIO Newsletter is the organization’s bi-weekly email newsletter. Subscribe
to the BIO Newsletter.

Upcoming BIO Events

BIO
International Convention
June 19-22, 2017
San Diego, CA

BIO
World Congress on Industrial Biotechnology
July 23 – 26, 2017
Montréal,
Canada

Contacts

Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO)
Josie
Peterson
202-870-9747
Web: www.bio.org
Blog:
www.biotech-now.org
Twitter:
@IAmBiotech

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