NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J.,
Jan. 20, 2016 /PRNewswire/
-- Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) today announced it has
joined more than 80 companies and organizations in signing the
Declaration on Combating Antimicrobial Resistance
(AMR), an industry-wide call to action announced at the
World Economic Forum in Davos,
Switzerland. The declaration outlines for the first time how
industry and governments can work together to support sustained
innovation to address the growing problem of AMR by which bacteria
and microbes become resistant to regularly used drugs, making
common yet life-threatening infections difficult or even impossible
to treat.
"We are pleased to be part of this important initiative to
combat antimicrobial resistance," said Paul
Stoffels, M.D., Chief Scientific Officer and Worldwide
Chairman, Pharmaceuticals, Johnson & Johnson. "Antimicrobials
are the backbone of modern medicine, and have played a key role in
increasing life expectancy globally. At Johnson & Johnson, our
long-standing commitment to innovation in antimicrobial R&D is
evident through our legacy products and our new efforts to support
ongoing research. For the world to continue to have new
antibiotics, we need investments in basic science and novel
incentive models for industry R&D, and to protect our existing
treatments, we need new frameworks for appropriate use."
Over the past decade, the world has witnessed an alarming
increase in the number of bacteria and microbes that have become
resistant to antimicrobials.
The independent UK Review on Antimicrobial Resistance estimates
that without effective global action, the rise of drug-resistant
infections could claim 10 million lives globally each year by 2050
and result in a cumulative loss from global output of 100 trillion USD. The Declaration outlines three
areas in which the companies will work to prevent and treat
drug-resistant infections: reduce drug resistance through
appropriate use of new and existing antibiotics; increase
investment and collaboration in research and development; and
improve access to high-quality antibiotics.
"Protecting public health by safeguarding our current
antibiotics and developing new antibiotics or vaccines is an
important priority now more than ever," said Peter Piot, M.D.,
Ph.D., Director of the London School of Hygiene & Tropical
Medicine and Handa Professor of Global Health. "The emergence of
so-called 'superbugs,' or drug-resistant bacteria, forces our
attention to the inadequacy of our therapeutic arsenals and the
need for new incentive frameworks for antibiotics to stimulate the
level of R&D investments so critically needed to strike back at
drug-resistant infections."
"We have experienced the challenges associated with the
discovery, development, and launch of new antimicrobial therapies,"
said Stoffels. "For many diseases, patients have very few options
for treatment today. Therefore, safeguarding the appropriate use of
current options is critical to ensure that patients do not develop
resistance."
"Collaborating with governments and other partners on
challenging, yet critical global health issues is at the heart of
our global public health commitment," said Jaak Peeters, head of Johnson & Johnson's
Global Public Health organization. "We look forward to working
with others on the interventions proposed in this declaration to
combat AMR."
Johnson & Johnson supports international and domestic
actions to address AMR, including the U.S. National Action Plan for
Combatting Antimicrobial Resistance launched in March 2015 and the recently launched U.S.
National Action Plan for Combating Multidrug-Resistant
Tuberculosis.
Delivering Sustainable Impact in Global Public
Health
Combatting antimicrobial resistance is an
important component of Johnson & Johnson's long-standing legacy
of commitment and partnership to improve global public health for
individuals, families and communities worldwide. Through its new
global public health organization, the company aims to deliver
integrated evidence-based solutions to address comprehensive health
needs and deliver meaningful and enduring impact in three core
focus areas: maternal and child health, extreme-multi-drug
resistant (XDR)- and MDR-TB and HIV.
About Johnson & Johnson
Caring for the world one
person at a time inspires and unites the people of Johnson &
Johnson. We embrace research and science - bringing innovative
ideas, products and services to advance the health and well-being
of people. Our approximately 128,000 employees at more than 265
Johnson & Johnson operating companies work with partners in
health care to touch the lives of over a billion people every day,
throughout the world.
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