2026 Peter J. Dunn Award for Green Chemistry & Engineering Impact in the Pharmaceutical Industry – Large Molecule
Amgen‘s Olpasiran team is recognized for developing a more efficient and environmentally responsible manufacturing process for olpasiran, a GalNAc‑conjugated siRNA therapeutic. Guided by green chemistry principles, the team streamlined multiple stages of the synthetic route, including starting material preparation, GalNAc ligand synthesis, and the conjugation process. Through targeted optimization, hazardous solvents and reagents were replaced with safer, lower‑risk alternatives, while maintaining or improving process yields. These enhancements were successfully demonstrated at multi‑kilogram scale (>30 kg), ensuring both scalability and robustness.
The optimized process delivers substantial sustainability benefits: up to a 37% reduction in E‑factors and more than 25% reduction in solvent and waste at peak production levels. This work highlights how thoughtful process redesign can significantly decrease environmental impact while enabling reliable, large‑scale manufacturing of advanced RNA therapeutics.
Team Members
