This week, SpeakPharma interviews Roger Viney, Chief Commercial Officer of ICE Pharma, a world-leading manufacturer of specialty biliary acid products with a focus on innovation, environmental responsibility, and a strong company culture. Viney discusses the company’s ambitious sustainability targets, and its exciting research into bile acids’ potential in treating neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s.
🔑 HIGHLIGHTS// focus on innovation, environmental responsibility, and a strong company culture
ICE Pharma has set four
strategic pillars to guide its sustainability efforts. Can you tell us what
these four pillars are and how they contribute to the long-term resilience of
the business and its supply chain?
In
2022, we developed a comprehensive long-term sustainability strategy,
accompanied by a short-term roadmap to guide our actions over the next three
years. This outlines the strategic choices that will define our way forward and
details the progress we are making against our roadmap.
Our sustainability strategy is designed to bolster the long-term resilience of our business and supply chain, provide a source of fulfillment for our employees and enable our customers to continue developing and delivering treatments for hepatic and neurological diseases, as well as other conditions that respond to bile acid-based therapies. By contributing holistically to a healthier society and environment, our strategy aims to create long-term value.
We
aim to maximize our positive impact on health by opening our Biliary Acid
Library of potential new molecules to further the development of these
treatments. Additionally, we strive to reduce our environmental footprint by
creating products with fewer raw materials, diversifying the animal sources we
use, and exploring new plant-based bile acid derivatives.
We
have established clear targets along four strategic pillars, supported by
robust ESG governance and leadership. Firstly, we are committed to fighting
illness through product innovation. By providing innovative, safe, and
high-quality pharmaceutical ingredients, we help our customers build a
healthier society.
Secondly, we focus on accelerating sustainable operations by monitoring and reducing our emissions, energy, and water consumption through robust ESG processes and accountability.
Thirdly, we prioritize building strong relationships by managing our supply chain transparently, fostering strong supplier relationships, and adhering to responsible business practices.
Lastly,
we are dedicated to caring for people by cultivating a transformational and
inclusive culture that ensures the well-being and development of our employees.
🔑 HIGHLIGHTS// Biliary Acid Library of potential new molecules / robust ESG governance and leadership / manage our supply chain transparently
ICE Pharma has committed to
an ambitious sustainability plan. Can you elaborate on specific targets it has
set to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and increase the use of renewable
energy? Also, what significant investments have ICE made or plans to make to
support these goals?
ICE’s carbon footprint aligns with industry standards in the pharmaceutical and API sectors in terms of GHG emissions. We have set an internal target that is challenging yet achievable and aligned with our business objectives – a 20 percent reduction in Scope 1 and 2 emissions (majorly energy-related) and a 30 percent reduction in Scope 3 emissions (from solvents, reagents, and animal byproducts used as raw materials) by 2033. We plan to achieve these targets through two main approaches.
For
electric power, we aim to achieve 100 percent renewable energy utilization by
2030, and we are well on track to achieve this. We are heavily investing in
renewable sources, either through sourcing green energy or through in-house
investments in photovoltaic (PV) systems at our factories. Fortunately, the
significant growth in installed renewable capacity across all geographies where
we operate makes this goal both achievable and financially sustainable.
However,
a substantial portion of our energy consumption comes from generating heat
involved in our processes. To counter this, we are focusing on energy
efficiency, targeting over 90 percent of our energy consumption to be covered
by ISO 50001 standards, and investing heavily in more efficient technologies.
For
Scope 3 emissions, our efforts are concentrated on further developing our
processes to reduce the amount of chemicals used, improve our yields, and
switch to animal-source raw materials with a smaller carbon footprint.
🔑 HIGHLIGHTS// internal target that is challenging yet achievable / 100 percent renewable energy utilization by 2030
ICE Pharma highlights its strong company culture as one of the secrets to its success. Can you speak on how you foster a collaborative and respectful work environment, and how these efforts contribute to the company’s overall success?
At
ICE Pharma, we place great emphasis on building a collaborative and respectful
work environment, recognizing it as a key driver of innovation and success. Our
culture is fostered by our Cultural Pillars: Unity, Evolution, and Achievement.
These pillars shape our approach in several key areas.
Firstly,
we value diversity and inclusion. Operating across different cultural contexts
and geographies, we have gathered a diverse range of ethnicities. We actively
ensure that all voices are represented. This promotes a culture where everyone
is respected for their unique perspectives.
Secondly,
recognizing employee contributions is fundamental to our approach. ICE Pharma
celebrates achievements and milestones, ensuring that employees feel valued. We
also support professional development and personal growth of employees through
initiatives such as secondments and international mentoring programs, and
financial support for excellence training courses. This creates motivation and
loyalty, reinforcing a positive company atmosphere.
Thirdly,
we understand the importance of work-life balance. We promote policies that
allow employees to maintain a healthy equilibrium between their professional
and personal lives, with a special focus on parenthood. This respect for
individual well-being translates into a happier, more engaged workforce.
By fostering these values, we create a work environment that drives productivity, encourages innovation, and strengthens the company’s overall success.
🔑 HIGHLIGHTS// value diversity and inclusion / recognize employee contributions / understand the importance of work-life balance
Considering the unique
properties of bile acids, can you discuss how ICE Pharma is leveraging its
technology to develop innovative drug delivery systems for emerging therapies
or to address challenges with existing medications?
We
are thrilled about the expanding role of bile acids in medicine. ICE Pharma
holds a unique position, being deeply involved in fundamental research,
developing new bile acids, bringing them into clinical trials, and
manufacturing generic medicines based on these compounds.
Recent
research has highlighted the role of bile acids as metabolic regulators,
revealing their potential to treat a variety of diseases. They have emerged as
an excellent class of molecules for targeting metabolic conditions such as type
2 diabetes, obesity, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Bile acids
are now known to act on several nuclear receptors, and it is becoming clear
that their signaling properties are complex and extend beyond the FXR and TGR5
receptors, where most current research is focused.
One particularly exciting area of interest is the potential of bile acids in treating neurodegenerative diseases. In collaboration with the Ferrier Institute, we have contributed to research on Parkinson’s disease. Mitochondrial dysfunction is a well-documented mechanism in both sporadic and familial Parkinson’s disease. Ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) has been identified as a bile acid that enhances mitochondrial function in multiple in vitro and in vivo models of Parkinson’s disease.
Our studies indicate that modified novel bile acid molecules could lead to the development of more efficacious treatments that improve mitochondrial function and overall cellular health, presenting promising new therapeutic options for Parkinson’s disease.
🔑 HIGHLIGHTS// potential of bile acids in treating neurodegenerative diseases / contributed to research on Parkinson’s disease / present promising new therapeutic options
Given ICE Pharma’s commitment to the highest quality and regulatory compliance standards, can you elaborate on how the company ensures that these standards are consistently maintained, especially when dealing with the complexities of animal-derived products?
At
ICE, we place great emphasis on controlling pathogens in our animal-derived
products, ensuring safety and quality throughout the entire supply chain, from
the collection of bile to the finished product. The bile is sourced exclusively
from authorized countries, and each production batch is meticulously traced to
certify that every animal has been raised and sacrificed according to specific
guidelines.
The
initial step in bile processing involves a treatment that certifies the product
as TSE/BSE Free. This is followed by at least two additional stages, based on
experimental studies conducted by specialized laboratories, which are effective
in inactivating viruses. Intermediates and the final product are handled in
closed cycles or in contamination-controlled areas (ISO-8 cleanrooms).
Beyond
these fundamental aspects, ICE is deeply committed to keeping its dossiers up
to date with the latest guidelines and constantly monitoring trends in
analytical data to ensure consistent product quality. Where possible, we
enhance this quality through a change control plan carefully managed by our
Quality Assurance team. Staff training, predictive and preventive maintenance
plans, equipment qualification, and process validation are crucial activities
involving the entire workforce with the support of the Quality Unit.
Our commitment to continuous improvement drives us to focus on digital globalization to ensure ever-greater transparency and reliability in the data that supports our work. As John Ruskin said, “quality is never an accident. It is always the result of intelligent effort.” We continue to follow this philosophy in our daily commitment.
🔑 HIGHLIGHTS// bile is sourced exclusively from authorized countries / each production batch is meticulously traced / ensure ever-greater transparency and reliability
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