Europe’s 'forever chemicals' proposal and the impact on pharma

Europe’s proposed restrictions on forever chemicals reach into pharmaceutical production through materials that rarely appear in discussions about medicines, including pipe linings, filters, seals and packaging. For drugmakers, the implications extend beyond treatments whose active ingredients contain the substances covered by the proposal.

The debate concerns per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), a large family of chemicals valued for properties such as resistance to heat and chemical attack. Their persistence in the environment has prompted European authorities to pursue broad restrictions, while manufacturers seek exemptions for uses they say cannot readily be replaced.