(107e) Life Cycle Inventory for Production of Vancomycin HCl and the Effect of Solvent Choices

This paper presents the cradle-to-gate life cycle inventory for the manufacture of the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) vancomycin hydrochloride, a drug used in the treatment of methicillan-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). A general fermentation process using Amycolatopsis orientalis to make vancomycin is used, with purification by adsorption and crystallization. After fermentation, the vancomycin solution is filtered and passed through adsorption columns to remove color and salt impurities. Crystallization can then be performed using various solvents and chemicals such as sodium hydroxide, ethanol, isopropanol, phosphoric acid, potassium phosphate, hydrochloric acid, acetone, ammonium chloride, and ammonium hydroxide to purify and convert the vancomycin to vancomycin hydrochloride. Three different crystallization processes are studied to show which solvents are the greener choice based on a life cycle analysis. The scope of the inventory is from the factory to the supply chain chemicals, and the inventory has been generated using the design-based methodology.