DSM Sinochem Pharmaceuticals supports WHO’s ‘Call to Action’ on antimicrobial resistance

Following the Global Health Summit in Uppsala (Sweden) on 2-3 June, 2015, DSM Sinochem Pharmaceuticals (DSP) pledged its commitment to the WHO’s ‘Call to Action’ on antimicrobial resistance issued at the Summit. One of the biggest opportunities to maintain the effectiveness and availability of antibiotics is responsible waste management, to date a highly undervalued dimension in the debate around resistance. DSP promised to use its expertise and influence in this area to help curb antimicrobial resistance (AMR).

The Summit – entitled ‘A World Without Antibiotics’ –  gathered a variety of participants including the World Health Organization (WHO), government officials, the UK Review Team on Antimicrobial Resistance (chaired by Jim O’Neill), NGOs, researchers, professors, medical doctors, veterinarians and other industry representatives. The WHO presented their Global Action Plan on antimicrobial resistance at the Summit. The ‘Call to Action’ promotes political awareness engagement and leadership on antimicrobial resistance among heads of state, ministers and global leaders.

Part of the Summit was devoted to the environmental dimension of antibiotic resistance; an aspect that historically has been undervalued. Prior reports have established the link between selective and high- concentrations of antibiotics spread through industrial discharges, and the massive proliferation of multi-resistant bacteria.

Marieke Schöningh, Vice President Marketing and Sales of DSP, says:

Antibiotics are crucial to human and animal health. Recognizing that antibiotic resistance is not exclusively caused by its inappropriate use, but that there is a strong environmental component related to waste management, is equally important to ensuring that antibiotics remain effective and available.

Attendees of the environmental workshop at the Summit, headed by Joakim Larsson (Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Gothenburg) confirmed a number of upcoming trends that will require attention in the years to come and underwrite the ambitions of the Global Action Plan:

• Increasing awareness on the relation between AMR, the environment and the pharmaceutical industry
• A call for increased transparency in the value chain up to Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient level
• A call for legislation regulating permitted discharge and toxicity levels
• A change in the system for generic substitution and reimbursement of pharmaceutical costs – where not only price but also control over environmental emissions from production are taken into account
• The establishment of a procurement process, including environmental criteria and control mechanisms

Following the workshop outcomes, attendees were urged to use their expertise and influence to address the environmental dimensions of antibiotic resistance. Responsible and sustainable production, an area in which DSP has a strong track record, are key says Schöningh:

Already back in the 1990s we launched our proprietary green enzymatic technology; our dedicated state-of-the-art waste management systems aim to ensure there is no antimicrobial activity in the waste water plant effluents. We have learned lessons and gained understanding of what works and doesn’t work. All of this can help deliver on each of the commitments the attendees of the Summit identified. We should do everything in our power to ensure we can continue to rely on antibiotics and that they are thus produced responsibly. Now and in the future. Individually and together.