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The CEO of Shionogi, a Japanese pharmaceutical company, has urged G7 governments to take the lead in resolving issues in the market for infectious disease medicines. Failure to do so may result in more companies leaving this critical field.
Isao Teshirogi, the chief executive, emphasized the challenges associated with infectious disease treatments despite their significance. He cautioned that an increasing number of companies were shifting focus away from infectious diseases to more lucrative sectors like oncology or rare diseases. Predicting the demand for infectious disease medicines can be difficult, as these treatments generally involve fewer drugs compared to managing chronic conditions.
Teshirogi stressed the importance of G7 countries demonstrating leadership in supporting effective antibiotics and short-term antivirals for acute phases. He warned that without support from wealthy nations, low and middle-income countries would bear the brunt of reduced investment in combating infectious diseases. Projections indicate that pathogens resistant to existing antibiotics could cause 10 million deaths annually by 2050, compared to the 1.3 million deaths reported in 2019.
Shionogi’s call for global action on infectious diseases follows the company’s significant investment of resources and personnel over the past three years to develop a treatment and vaccine for Covid-19.
Despite some concerns from analysts due to the uncertain outlook, Shionogi’s activities in infectious disease research have gained social value, especially with other companies withdrawing from this area. However, converting this social value into financial returns has proven challenging for the company.
Policymakers in the US, EU, and UK are exploring ways to increase investment in antibiotics. Teshirogi expressed surprise and disappointment that the US has not yet passed the Pasteur Act, legislation designed to encourage investment in new antibiotics and address antimicrobial resistance. He proposed a “pull incentive” approach to tackle financial return issues associated with new antibiotics. In contrast, he commended the UK’s subscription model for antibiotics, which pays drugmakers up to £20 million per year regardless of the sales volume.
Shionogi was involved in the pilot program for the UK’s subscription model.
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