Ester Lovsin Barle, DVM, MSc, PhD, MScTox, is the Global Head of Product Sustainability and Stewardship at Takeda Pharmaceuticals. Ester leads the cross-organizational product sustainability workstream, Sustainability by Design for the Planet; pillar of purpose led sustainability in Takeda; and product stewardship topics such as safety data sheet process, maintaining article and material regulatory compliance, scientific development, and cross-organizational implementation of health-based exposure limits (HBEL) in support of research, development, and manufacturing in Takeda. Previously she held corporate positions at Lonza and Novartis. Ester has been working in the pharmaceutical industry for over 15 years. She received her master’s degree and PhD from the University of Ljubljana, Slovenia, and a second master’s degree in toxicology and risk assessment from Medical University in Vienna. Ester is a certified toxicologist and has a certification in environmental management for sustainability. She joined ISPE in 2023.
While financial investment in novel therapies provides patients with new treatment options and improved quality of care, the pharmaceutical industry also recognizes its responsibility to transition toward more sustainable development, manufacturing, and stewardship of medicines throughout their life cycle.
As the pharmaceutical industry faces ever-changing global challenges and market forces, it must review and revise product design to ensure that quality products remain available in the marketplace while moving toward zero pollution for air, water, and soil. This article provides an introduction on how quality products can integrate sustainability by design.