Pharma lobby says EU ban on 'forever chemicals' would halt drug production

Rogers

27/09/2023 13:56

By Ludwig Burger
       FRANKFURT, Sept 27 (Reuters) - European drugmakers
warned that a proposed complete ban on substances known as PFAS
or "forever chemicals" would render medicine production in the
region impossible, part of a high-stakes wrangle between
manufacturers and environmental regulators.
    The European Union started to consider in February a ban of
the widely used but potentially harmful substances, in what
could become the bloc's most extensive piece of regulation of
the chemical industry.
    A six-month consultation period to give impacted companies
and industries an opportunity to put their views forward ended
on Monday, with the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) registering
 5,600 comments.
    "The entire pharmaceutical industry would no longer be able
to manufacture active pharmaceutical ingredients ... or
associated medicinal products in the EEA," if no exemptions, or
derogations, are included in the draft, the European Federation
of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA) said in a
statement. 
    The EEA, or European Economic Area, includes 27 EU member
states plus Liechtenstein, Iceland and Norway. 
    "A total ban would see medicines’ manufacturing in the EU
grind to a halt in under three years," said EFPIA's director
general, Nathalie Moll.
    The group, which counts pharmaceutical majors with European
operations including Pfizer, Roche and Novartis as members, said
that PFAS are used in drug production, and some PFAS with no or
low identified risks go directly into medicines. 
    It does not oppose regulating certain harmful PFAS, the
group added.
    Among critical responses from other industries, the European
chemical makers' association Cefic has called for "balanced"
regulation of PFAS, saying a ban would hobble the production of
batteries, semi-conductors, electric vehicles and renewable
energy production, among other products.
    EFPIA said it had provided "scientific and technical
evidence to justify derogations and prevent medicine shortages"
under ECHA's consultation.
    The moniker "forever chemicals" stems from their ability to
accumulate in water and soils because they do not decompose as a
result of an extremely strong bond between carbon and fluorine
atoms.
    The chemicals are in use in tens of thousands of products
and machines, including cars, textiles, medical gear, windmills
and non-stick pans due to their long-term resistance to extreme
temperatures and corrosion. 
    But PFAS have also been linked to health risks like cancer,
hormonal dysfunction and a weakened immune system as well as
environmental damage.
    According to the planned EU regulation, companies would be
given a transition period of 18 months and, in addition, up to
12 years to find alternative substances, depending on the
industry or product use.

    <^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Call to phase out 'forever chemicals' gains investor momentum   
 urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL8N32P39Q
    ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^>
 (Reporting by Ludwig Burger;Editing by Elaine Hardcastle)
 ((ludwig.burger@thomsonreuters.com; +49 30 220133634;))