Merck announced that its Life Science sector earned an Accountability, Consistency and Transparency (ACT) label for its ZooMAb recombinant antibodies platform from My Green Lab, a non-profit organisation dedicated to sustainability in science.
With a ACT label designation, ZooMAb antibodies received the lowest Environmental Impact Factor (EIF) scores in the chemicals and reagents category.
The ZooMAb antibodies product portfolio delivers a sustainable solution to our customers as part of the company’s goal of achieving human progress for more than one billion people through sustainable science and technology by the year 2030.
“Helping our customers and suppliers to reduce their impact on the environment is a key part of our sustainability strategy,” said Jeffrey Whitford, head of sustainability and social business innovation, Life Science business sector of Merck. “By showing how products rate in different categories, such as manufacturing; energy and water use; packaging; and end-of-life, the ACT label gives scientists another data point to help increase their sustainability. We are proud to be part of this program and achieve one of the top-ranking EIF scores for our ZooMAb antibodies.”
Unlike traditional monoclonal antibodies, or mAbs, made from identical immune cells from an animal-sourced parent cell, ZooMAb antibodies use recombinant technology. This offers an endless and consistent supply while reducing the use of animals in research.
ZooMAb antibodies can be shipped at room temperature and then stored between 2°C and 8°C, while traditional mAbs must be shipped and stored between 2°C and 8°C, eliminating the need for specially insulated, ice-cooled containers that contribute to high packaging material consumption and transport emissions. Shipping ZooMAb antibodies, which weigh 2.5 g or about as heavy as a penny, at room temperature allows for more opportunities to eventually ship the product in much smaller packaging, preventing the emission of around 175 metric tons of CO2 per year by 2025.
In addition to innovation and packaging, the following factors contributed to the low EIF score:
- The manufacturing facility where the ZooMAb antibodies are produced has implemented energy, water, and waste reduction measures; procured renewable energy from a wind farm; and has an environmental management system program that is ISO 14001 certified.
- ZooMAb antibodies do not contain any Red List chemicals, CMRs, PBTs, or GreenScreen Benchmark-1 chemicals.