Introduction

Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, a pioneer in RNA interference (RNAi) therapeutics, has revolutionized disease treatment by “silencing” harmful genes. Over two decades, their breakthroughs have shaped the RNAi field.

However, as a global biopharmaceutical company, Alnylam faced significant challenges in managing sustainability goals, with operations expanding worldwide and data flooding in, straining their efforts.

Where Alnylam Started

Data Deluge, No Unified System

Alnylam faced an overwhelming surge of sustainability data—waste, emissions, energy use, and more—from its global research labs, manufacturing plants, and distribution channels, compounded by multilingual invoices and a manual process.

With no centralized system, this flood of information stayed fragmented across platforms, timelines, and formats in disconnected spreadsheets, leaving Alnylam unable to track or manage it effectively.

Audit Struggles

Alnylam faced a growing challenge with limited visibility into its global operations. Gathering sustainability data—covering emissions, hazardous waste, and packaging—became increasingly difficult.

Auditors required detailed, structured reports, including raw data, supporting evidence, and precise calculations formatted to exact standards. Preparing these reports was slow, expensive, and highly time-consuming, relying on inputs from numerous sources.

This annual process demanded significant effort and proved frustrating. The lack of clear audit trails only added to the strain, further consuming time and resources.

External Dependency

Alnylam turned to external consultants for guidance, hoping to shape a stronger sustainability strategy. Without an internal framework to stand on, this seemed like a quick fix. But this led Alnylam to have a clouded view of its own data. With limited insight and control, the team struggled to chart its sustainability course, leaving sustainability decisions feeling more like guesswork than strategy.

The challenges grew over time. When a regulatory deadline required a carbon emissions report, Alnylam had to wait for the consultants to deliver, which could cause delays and outdated information.

Sprih’s Solutions as Aid

A Strong Foundation: Data Management

The first step to tackling Alnylam’s data chaos is simple: bring all sustainability data—waste, emissions, refrigerants, and more—into one centralized hub.

Sprih’s data management platform makes this possible. It lets teams from different facilities and regions input raw data anytime, all in one place. Every entry or change is tracked, ensuring nothing gets lost or overlooked.

This steady flow of data unlocks real-time trend analysis, conducted by SustainSense. Teams can sort and view it by facility, geography, business unit, or customize it to their needs—whether that’s by scopes, sources, GHG emissions, or country.

With everyone adding data effortlessly, Alnylam gains a single, reliable source of truth, eliminating scattered records or guesswork. This clarity cuts through the frustration of delays, blind spots, and disjointed efforts, giving the team the power to understand their progress and act decisively.

Focused Emissions Tracking and Gap Analysis

The platform delivered precise emissions tracking, covering both small details and big-picture insights.

Calculating emissions from every source, no matter the size, was complex. For instance, in Scope 3 emissions—particularly Category 12 (end-of-life of sold products)—specific data was often missing. Details like waste disposal, packaging materials, were unavailable, requiring estimations. The platform tackled this by calculating packaging waste for each material, multiplying it by the relevant EF to estimate emissions accurately.

Similarly, for Category 11 (use of sold products), Alnylam only provided basic data: the number of vials sold and the country. From this, the platform calculated electricity use during the product’s use phase, applied the correct grid EF, and determined emissions.

This level of detail—micro and macro—solved a major pain point: inefficiency and time loss. What once took extensive effort was now streamlined, delivering highly accurate results with ease, whether for experts in pharma or anyone new to the process.

Highly Auditable; Highly Trustworthy

The platform’s AI engine, SustainSense, pulls together all necessary information, transforming it into any required format, from data-driven reports to narrative-style summaries.

Every data point—raw data, supporting evidence, applied emission factors (EFs), and calculations—is fully traceable and auditable, with real-time logging ensuring a transparent and dependable audit trail.

Integrated data quality checks keep everything precise, current, and always prepared for review. By eliminating slow, manual report preparation, Alnylam now produces high-quality, audit-ready reports that meet global standards in seconds—saving time and ensuring accuracy for both pharma professionals and newcomers alike.

How Alnylam Pharmaceuticals Triumphed Data Deluge with Sprih's SustainSense