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Green Chemistry Program

Performance — Applying Green Chemistry to Enhance our EHS Profile

Pfizer has improved the way it manufactures many of its products by applying Green Chemistry principles. Benefits include:

• Less hazardous solvents and solvent reduction.
• Reagent change-out.
• Waste minimization and energy conservation.
• Cost savings on core and established products.
• Public recognition and award.

Specifically, Pfizer has:

• Reduced 65 percent of the total organic waste (3.5 M liters/year – methanol, tetrahydrofuran) and eliminated liquid nitrogen in just one step in manufacturing Lipitor^®, Pfizer's medication prescribed to treat high cholesterol.
• Avoided 5 million gallons of solvent per year and more than 150 tons of the nickel catalyst in the manufacture of Lyrica^®, a drug that treats neuropathic pain associated with diabetes or shingles, using a third-generation synthesis of the product.
• Designed away 25,000 tons of waste per year in the manufacture of Vfend^®, an antifungal medication, through a green chemistry modification in the manufacturing process. The synthesis utilizes two highly innovative types of chemistry; an ultra-efficient synthesis of a key intermediate; and the development of a novel, highly selective coupling reaction. This chemistry was among the finalists in the 2006 for the Crystal Faraday Award.
• Developed guides for the selection of environmentally-friendly solvents and reagents which are being used by chemists and engineers throughout the organization.

Awards and Recognition

• Recognized by IChemE for GC practices for Lyrica^® and Vfend^® in 2006. Lyrica^® won the top European GC award — the Excellence in Green Chemistry and Engineering Award, and Vfend^® was a finalist for the Faraday award.
• Received the UK Institute of Chemical Engineers' (IChemE) 2003 “Crystal Faraday Award for Green Chemical Technology” for Viagra^® by significantly reducing the amount of organic process wastes generated on an annual basis.
• Received the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's 2002 Presidential Green Chemistry Award for applying Green Chemistry to the manufacturing of Zoloft^®, doubling Pfizer's product yield and significantly reducing EHS impact in the process.

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