UK-based pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) has reached an agreement with Fundacao de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de Sao Paulo (FAPESP), the Brazilian funding agency for scientific research, to establish a new center of excellence for sustainable chemistry in Brazil.
To be located in Sao Paulo, the center of excellence will take a multi-disciplinary approach to explore all aspects of more sustainable chemistry, including improving synthetic efficiency, sustainable solvents and renewable feedstocks from agricultural waste.
Pursuant to the terms of the collaboration agreement, GSK has committed funding to the project of £400,000 a year for ten years, which will be matched by FAPESP.
As per the agreement, there will also be a call for proposal to the universities located in Sao Paulo, which will be responsible for carrying out the project.
In the UK, GSK is also supporting a centre of excellence for sustainable chemistry at the University of Nottingham.
Once completed, the new Sao Paulo centre of excellence will form scientific links with GSK and the University of Nottingham for facilitating the sharing of knowledge and expertise between Brazilian and UK researchers.
GSK emerging markets and Asia Pacific senior vice president Rogerio Ribeiro noted the company has a vibrant and growing business in Brazil and, as part of its continued investment in science in Brazil, it is delighted to announce the support for the new sustainable chemistry center.
"This will be an important enabler towards our goal of reducing the environmental impact of both the discovery and subsequent manufacturing of drugs to help us meet our target of being carbon neutral by 2050," Ribeiro added.
For supervising the creation of the Sao Paulo centre and set its strategic direction, a joint steering committee will be formed with representation from GSK, FAPESP and The University of Nottingham.
Image: GSK headquaters in Brentford, London, England Photo: courtesy of Flickr upload bot.
