Chapter 2: Barriers to Adopting Green Chemistry in Drug Discovery

In drug discovery, the barriers to adopting green chemistry can be broadly classified as economic, technical, and cultural, with cultural barriers posing by far the greatest challenge. Economic and technical barriers pertaining to solvents, reagents, time, and technologies are briefly covered, with some suggestions as to how some of these may be addressed. The cultural barriers mainly result from a lack of awareness of green chemistry both within the industry and in the wider chemistry community, including academia, and the perception that incorporation of green chemistry could slow down the pace of research. Specific concerns arising from each of the 12 principles of green chemistry are considered, as is the possibility of confusion over communication, especially over how reagents, solvents, or processes are labelled as “green” or which metrics should be used. Some recommendations for overcoming these barriers and embedding a green chemistry culture are discussed.