Predicting the biodegradability of active pharmaceutical ingredients using freely available in silico models: new application area or impossible?

The development of environmentally friendly alternatives to pharmaceuticals and active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) is increasingly necessary, because pharmaceutical agents can persist in the environment, cause ecotoxicological effects, and require high biodegradability due to increasing regulatory requirements. Experimental classification into biodegradable or non-biodegradable according to OECD Guideline 301 is reliable but very time- and resource-intensive, hindering efficient pharmaceut