Sustainable Manufacturing Practices: The Key to Mitigating Antimicrobial Resistance

JAKARTA, Indonesia, July 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Centrient Pharmaceuticals, a global business-to-business leader in sustainable, enzymatic antibiotics manufacturing, in partnership with Menjangan Sakti, a trader of pharmaceutical raw materials in Indonesia, organized a workshop on 'Sustainability Through Excellence in Manufacturing-2.0' (STEM-2.0) in Jakarta today. The workshop program included training on the importance of sustainability in manufacturing practices of antibiotics, as well as a presentation of the advancements in pharmaceutical manufacturing technologies. More than 60 experts from the Manufacturing, R&D, Regulatory Affairs, Quality Assurance, and Purchasing departments of leading Indonesian pharmaceutical companies participated in the event.

Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) is one of the top 10 global health threats as increased AMR makes medicines ineffective. Some of the main contributors to AMR include overprescribing of antibiotics, over-use of antibiotics in livestock and fish farming, as well as unsustainable wastewater management by pharmaceutical manufacturers. Effluents released during antibiotic manufacturing must be properly treated so that the antibiotic residues do not pollute the environment and further strengthen resistant bacteria.

Pramod Kaintura, Head Sales, APAC Region, Centrient Pharmaceuticals, stated, "The beginning of mass production of antibiotics contributed to increased life expectancy and improved quality of life. It is essential to safeguard these medicines before they are rendered ineffective. At Centrient Pharmaceuticals, we believe manufacturers must take the lead by adopting advanced technologies and processes to remove antibiotic residues from pharmaceutical waste. The STEM Workshops are a collaborative platform to share our know-how with industry partners."

Over the past years, Indonesia has made advancements in AMR containment by launching several initiatives, like the National Action Plan on AMR (2017-2019). The government also launched several policies to govern antibiotic use and joined the GLASS network to ensure comprehensive reporting of AMR data in the country.

Jonathan Sudharta, Director, PT Menjangan Sakti, stated, "AMR has several drivers across the human, animal, and environmental ecosystem. While the government has announced several initiatives on the human and animal front, more pronounced efforts are needed to curtail the build-up of AMR in the environment. We hope the STEM Workshops catalyze proactive regulatory actions on the environmental front and promote sustainable manufacturing."

While Indonesia's NAP-AMR underlines investment to discover new antibiotics, simultaneous R&D for developing sustainable manufacturing is the need of the hour.

Dr. Anurag S Rathore, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) - Delhi, stated: "Some academicians have been working to develop innovative technological solutions to ensure the wastewater discharged into the environment has minimum antibiotic residue. Harmonized government and pharmaceutical industry efforts are needed to ensure the adoption of these tech solutions. Given the rapid pace at which the pharmaceutical sector is growing in Indonesia, the training of the industry representatives on sustainable manufacturing and waste management practices through this STEM workshop can help address the issue of AMR."

For more information, please visit www.centrient.com or contact Yekaterina Syrtsova, Senior External Communications Manager, E-Mail: yekaterina.syrtsova@centrient.com