#13: Meta's Llama, Pharma's Green revolution & Monsoon Check
Pharma’s Green Revolution
1. Pharma supply chains are inefficient and generate substantial waste, resulting in a significant carbon footprint.
2. Pharmaceutical companies are adopting sustainable practices by using renewable energy, reducing water consumption, and optimizing production to minimize waste
3. The concept of green chemistry aims to reduce the environmental impact of drug production by minimizing hazardous chemicals.
4. AstraZeneca plans to achieve 100% renewable energy usage by 2025, and some Indian pharmaceutical companies, like Aurobindo, have invested in renewable energy sources
5.These efforts demonstrate a growing commitment within the industry to address sustainability concerns and mitigate the environmental impact of pharmaceutical manufacturing
AI and its fleeting moats
AI Applications are not unique; they have similar datasets, architectures (transformers) & same GPUs
However, there are standard moats
> Scale moats (raising more money)
> Supply-chain moats (access to GPUs)
> Algorithmic moats (Better code)
> Distribution moats (products in wide use already) and
> Data pipeline moats (Pooled more data from the internet)
Revolutionizing Pharmaceuticals: Additive Manufacturing
• Pharmaceuticals are normally produced through several basic processes such where powders are compressed into a more solid tablet form.
• Additive manufacturing, also known as 3D printing, is finding application in the pharmaceutical industry to produce solid tablets. In this process, layers of powdered material are fused together using digital control from 3D software.
• One main advantage of using this technique for pharmaceutical manufacturing is that pharmaceuticals can be easily tailored for each patient and provides the potential for on-demand drugs that can be printed in the hospital itself and reduce the importance of long-term stability of the drug.
• This is also a step for a polypill where several pharmaceuticals can be combined into one pill by printing in different compartments
Green Chemistry: A Sustainable Future Ahead
• Green Chemistry refers to the design of chemical products and processes that reduce or eliminate the generation of hazardous substances.
• In pharma, this can take on multiple forms such as generating minimal waste / minimal non-renewable energy consumption / using green biocatalysts during manufacturing, using safer chemicals & solvents, designing degradable dosages, etc.
• These modifications are not only safer for patients and the environments, but also improve production efficiency and are cost-efficient for the manufacturers
• Given that pharma sector is currently a major contributor to the environmental pollution, this is an important step for pharma companies on their journey to become ‘net zero’ in future years.
Agri Update:
>Rain distribution is skewed this monsoon;41% districts reporting less than normal rainfall.
>Paddy sowing area has shrunk 8% Y-o-Y.
>Area under Kharif sowing is down by 2M hectares this year.
>Sowing of pulses is also down by 13%; highest decline is in the sowing of Arhar -38%.
>In contrast area under sowing of Millet has grown 38% this season.
>India banned the export of Non Basmati rice; prices has fallen from 32k per ton to 28k.
>Govt has stopped supply of subsidised rice for prod of ethanol post the rice export ban.
>Tea stock in Coonoor going unsold in auctions due to rift btw traders & association members.
Compiled by Kush Khandelwal & Tushar Khandelwal
Contributions by Arnim Dhakad, Amay Solanki, Ashish Purohit, Anand Vadia, Mukund Maheshwari, Parin Detroja, Prachi Malpani, Tanay Lohia, Shlok Sanghi, Harshil Shah.
Member of the week: Shlok Sanghi (#most helpful)
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