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The Environmental Impact of Biologic Therapy
Andrea Leung1, Georgia Marquez-Grap1, Tina Bhutani2
1Department of Dermatology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94132, USA.
Dermatologic Clinics
|November 9, 2025
Summary
Biologic medications for skin diseases create significant medical waste due to special packaging. Collaboration is needed to reduce the environmental impact of these essential therapies.
Area of Science:
- Dermatology
- Environmental Science
- Pharmaceutical Packaging
Background:
- Biologic medications have transformed dermatologic disease treatment.
- These therapies require specialized packaging and cold-chain logistics for stability.
- Current practices contribute to substantial medical waste and carbon emissions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To highlight the environmental impact of biologic therapies in dermatology.
- To emphasize the need for sustainable practices in biologic drug delivery.
- To call for collaborative action to mitigate waste.
Main Methods:
- Review of current packaging and shipping requirements for biologic drugs.
- Analysis of waste generation and carbon footprint associated with these treatments.
- Discussion of stakeholder roles in promoting sustainability.
Main Results:
- Biologic drug packaging involves temperature-controlled environments and single-use plastics.
- These requirements lead to significant medical waste and environmental pollution.
- Systemic changes are necessary to address the environmental burden.
Conclusions:
- Reducing the environmental impact of biologic therapies is crucial.
- Multistakeholder collaboration is essential for developing sustainable solutions.
- Dermatologists play a key role in advocating for and implementing these changes.
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