Big Pharma Issues Industry Roadmap On Antimicrobial Resistance

Major pharmaceutical companies today issued a roadmap they said aims to bring solutions to the problem of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). The plan, issued on the eve of the United Nations General Assembly High-Level Meeting on Antimicrobial Resistance, targets environmental impact, use of antibiotics only by those who need them, improved access to medical products, and public-private partnerships.

In an International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers & Associations press release [pdf], some 13 pharmaceutical companies, pledged to a roadmap [pdf] including four main commitments:

1. Reduce the environmental impact from the production of antibiotics, including a review of the companies’ manufacturing and supply chains, and work with stakeholders to establish a common framework for assessing and managing antibiotic discharge;
2. Help ensure antibiotics are used only by patients who need them, recognizing this requires concerted efforts from many stakeholders, through continued provider and patient education, an examination of the companies’ promotional activities, sharing of surveillance data with public health bodies and healthcare professionals, and collaboration with stakeholders to reduce uncontrolled antibiotic purchase;
3. Improve access to current and future antibiotics, vaccines, and diagnostics, including working with stakeholders to strengthen global health systems and address access bottlenecks; establishing new business models that balance access needs, appropriate antibiotic use, expanded vaccine coverage and adequate return to companies; and working to reduce the prevalence of substandard/counterfeit antibiotics in high-risk markets; and
4. Explore new opportunities for open collaborations between industry and the public sector to address challenges in the research and development of new antibiotics, vaccines, and diagnostics, recognizing the value these bring to society.

“In presenting this roadmap, the signatory companies firmly demonstrate their shared ambition to overcome the staggering threat AMR represents for our society, economies, and citizens,” they said in the release. “We are committed to working to reduce the development of antimicrobial resistance, improve access to high-quality antibiotics, vaccines, and diagnostics, invest in R&D, and collaborate with governments and stakeholders to sustain those investments.”

The 3-page plan does not mention intellectual property rights by name, but does call for action against substandard and counterfeit (trademark-violating) products, and it calls for business models that ensure an “adequate return” to companies.

The roadmap states:

“For existing and future antibiotics, diagnostics and vaccines, improved access is essential, and must be balanced with health system measures to ensure appropriate use. We support mechanisms to facilitate affordable access to high quality new and existing antibiotics, diagnostics and vaccines to the patients who need them, in all parts of the world and at all levels of income. We recognise the success of programs to improve global access to vaccines and drugs in HIV, TB, and malaria.

We will:

1. Work with international bodies, governments and other stakeholders to identify and address specific access, market sustainability and supply bottlenecks for existing antibiotics, diagnostics and vaccines, and develop innovative financing and procurement mechanisms to resolve them.
2. Work with stakeholders to establish new business models which will improve access to new antibiotics, diagnostics and vaccines globally, while supporting appropriate use and delivering an adequate return to companies. We are willing to explore all options to achieve this and

believe that receipt of an adequate Market Entry Reward will greatly facilitate global access and stewardship for that product.

iii. Seek to accelerate the introduction of processes, technologies, and regulations required to reduce the prevalence of substandard/counterfeit antibiotics in high risk markets.”

 

Image Credits: IFPMA