Global Call for Action Against Drug-Resistant Infections

The Declaration on Combating Antimicrobial Resistance, drafted and signed by 85 companies and nine industry associations across 18 countries, represents a major milestone in the global response to the challenges resulting from drug-resistant infections, with commercial drug and diagnostic developers for the first time agreeing on a common set of principles for global action to support antibiotic conservation and the development of new drugs, diagnostics, and vaccines.

Pharmaceutical, generics, diagnostics, biotechnology, and major industry companies called on governments around the world to go beyond existing statements of intent, and take concrete action. In particular, the declaration supports continuation of efforts for improved conservation of antibiotics, including a call for improved uptake of rapid point-of-care diagnostics to improve how antibiotics are prescribed. The declaration also calls for changes to incentive structures within health systems that directly reward doctors, pharmacists, and veterinarians for prescribing antibiotics in greater volumes.

The signatory companies also called on governments to work with them to develop new and alternative market structures that provide more dependable and sustainable models for antibiotics, and to commit the funds needed to implement them. These mechanisms are needed to provide appropriate incentives for companies to invest and overcome the formidable technical and scientific challenges of antibiotic discovery and development, including mechanisms that ensure that the pricing of antibiotics more adequately reflects the benefits they bring.

“This Declaration from industry is a major step forward in establishing a properly global response to the challenges of drug resistance,” said Lord Jim O’Neill, chairman of the UK Review on Antimicrobial Resistance. “I’m really impressed that such a wide range of companies have been able to agree on a common set of principles and commitments across these important issues; this is a level of consensus that we have not previously seen from the industry on this topic.”

“We are pleased to be part of this important initiative to combat antimicrobial resistance. Antimicrobials are the backbone of modern medicine, and have played a key role in increasing life expectancy globally,” said Paul Stoffels, MD, chief scientific officer and worldwide chairman of pharmaceuticals at Johnson & Johnson (JNJ; New Brunswick, NJ, USA). “Our long-standing commitment to innovation in antimicrobial R&D is evident through our legacy products and our new efforts to support ongoing research.”

Antimicrobial resistance is the natural process by which bacteria and other microbes develop resistance to the drugs commonly used to treat them, including antibiotic, antiviral, antiparasitic, and antifungal drugs.

Related Links:
World Economic Forum
Link to the Joint Declaration (PDF)
Johnson & Johnson