Reducing the cost of making drugs for low/limited-income countries by going green

In efforts to improve the affordability of drugs in regions of the world where they are most needed, synthetic sequences are described that apply green and sustainable technologies to the partial or total syntheses of several target molecules. Here, the focus is on routes to: (i) three antimalarial drugs, or key portions thereof; (ii) a targeted polypeptide (as found in Paxlovid) used extensively in the treatment of COVID-19; and (iii) two subsections of a potent, and timely, anti-HIV agent. Each is highlighted by its adherence to several of the Principles of Green Chemistry, leading to a more environmentally responsible, and hence potentially cost-effective, route associated with their manufacture. Such approaches may impact the health and well-being of millions, while dramatically reducing their overall environmental impact.