10145529Remanufacturing for a Sustainable Future in Combination Injection Devices (ReSCid)ClosedFeasibility StudiesInnovate UKCombination drug devices combine a pharmaceutical drug with an injection device, essential for the efficacy of many drugs, especially novel modalities like biologics and nucleic acids. As these novel drug modalities increase, so does the need for combination devices. To ensure a sustainable future for the pharma industry, targeting this component of their supply chain is crucial. The Pharmaceutical and MedTech industries envision a future where combination devices are reusable and remanufactured, aligning with the circular economy model. However, there is currently no process or industry methodology in the UK or globally to facilitate the return, disassembly, and reintegration of these devices into the manufacturing and supply chains, including the pharmaceutical industry and healthcare systems. Currently, a single-use disposable auto-injector/pen has a carbon footprint of approximately 400g CO2e (OM LCA analysis). In contrast, a reusable remanufacturable auto-injector could potentially reduce this footprint to 19g CO2e. Globally, about 2.5 billion disposable single-use injection devices are produced per year, generating a total Green House Gas equivalent of 750,000 tCO2e (OM Analysis, Pharma-Sustainability-Days-Conference-Geneva, 2024) versus 304,000 tCO2e from transport in each UK local authority (GOV.UK). Offsetting this would require an additional 4.5 million mature trees per year. Some pharmaceutical companies have run pilot device take-back schemes, but these only grind down the devices rather than remanufacturing them (GSK, Novo Nordisk). While this is a step in the right direction, it does not fully address the circularity solution. We aim to demonstrate that a circular system can be operationally feasible and ready to launch across the medical device and pharmaceutical industries. This is essential to ensure these sectors achieve net-zero by 2050 and that the UK supply chain remains competitive by offering feasible, customer-centric, regulatory-compliant remanufacturing solutions. Achieving this requires not only the pre-competitive collaboration of the MedTech/pharmaceutical industry and the NHS but also the capabilities of the recycling and sorting industries. This project aims to assemble a sustainability consortium of value/supply chain stakeholders to develop a shared vision and Grand Challenge programme with defined practical steps, combining each stakeholder's specialist expertise and capabilities. It will demonstrate a scalable, feasible solution to reduce the carbon footprint of combination devices.