Authors
London, 11th March 2026: Led by Exactmer, with strategic support from GSK, the project will scale production of bio-based solvents that could cut lifecycle emissions from pharmaceutical manufacturing by up to 60%.
A UK consortium established by innovation funding specialist Ayming and sustainability consultancy ERM has been awarded more than £7 million from Innovate UK in partnership with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) to accelerate the development of sustainable solvents for medicines manufacturing.
The project, which is led by polymer manufacturer Exactmer with strategic support from GSK, will develop pharmaceutical-grade bio-based solvents that reduce lifecycle emissions while maintaining the high purity needed for medicines production.
Ayming supports consortium funding success
Innovation funding specialist Ayming helped shape the consortium and led the preparation of the successful grant application under Innovate UK’s Sustainable Medicines Manufacturing Innovation Programme, which supports the transition to more sustainable pharmaceutical production in the UK.
Addressing the sustainability challenge
Solvents are essential to medicines manufacturing but represent a major source of Scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions across pharmaceutical supply chains. Water-based solvent flow chemistry solutions are being developed, and the pharmaceutical industry is also exploring solvent recovery and reuse. However, these approaches alone will not deliver the greenhouse gas reductions required to achieve Net Zero by 2050. Solvents produced using green chemistry and bio-based or recycled carbon will therefore be required. Today, only limited volumes of sustainable solvents are available to the pharmaceutical industry.
The consortium will use advanced membrane purification technologies to produce low-carbon solvents at an industrial scale, enabling adoption without significant changes to existing pharmaceutical manufacturing infrastructure.
Consortium members
The consortium brings together organisations from across the pharmaceutical manufacturing and chemicals ecosystem, including:
- Technology providers: Exactmer, Queen Mary University London, Atmospheric AI and SOLVE Chemistry
- Solvent manufacturers: OXCCU, Celtic Renewables and the University of Leeds
- Pharmaceutical and life sciences companies: GSK, Croda and Cytiva
- Translational research and innovation organisation: CPI
About Ayming
As a professional services company, Ayming partners with businesses and institutions around the world to unlock lasting value, year after year. Translating complex policy into opportunities, while managing the transformation that comes with growth.
Our team is over 1,600 experts in Innovation, HR, and Taxes. We have specialised knowledge and decades of experience in international and local policy across 14 countries. Our premium services create new possibilities for investment. And our approach goes beyond consulting, collaborating in the field with clients of all sizes and sectors. So we can deliver tangible results driven by trust – now and for years to come.
For all media enquiries:
Annabel Riviero
Annabel.Rivero@aspectusgroup.com
+44 7500 321 480
