Green Medicinal Chemistry: The Impact of Applying Sustainable and Environmentally Friendly Methods on Drug Development

Green medicinal chemistry is a combination of drug design principles and green chemistry concepts that has been formed with the aim of reducing the environmental impact of the pharmaceutical industry. In this approach, the synthetic processes of drugs are redesigned based on criteria such as waste reduction, use of renewable raw materials, safe solvents, and less energy. The history of pharmaceutical evolution shows that traditional methods, despite producing effective drugs, have caused widespread emission of pollutants, high energy consumption, and damage to ecosystems. With the expansion of environmental awareness in the last decades of the twentieth century, the principles of green chemistry entered the field of pharmacy and led to fundamental changes in the design of reactions, the selection of solvents and the application of catalysts. New technologies such as nanotechnology, bioelectronics, and artificial intelligence have also helped accelerate the design of green medicines and optimize synthetic pathways. Also, the evaluation of the life cycle of a drug makes it possible to examine the environmental effects of a drug from the stage of production to disposal. The application of biocatalysis and enzymatic chemistry has also been able to perform complex reactions under mild conditions with high efficiency. Green medicinal chemistry provides a scientific, industrial, and ethical pathway to move toward safer, more cost-effective, and environmentally friendly medicines, and provides a sustainable vision for the future of pharmaceuticals.

کلیدواژه ها:

Green Medicinal Chemistry ، Atomic Economy ، Biocatalysis ، Green Solvents ، Drug Life Cycle Evaluation