Pfizer Pledges $100 Million to New Industry Fund to Help Fight Growing Threat of Antimicrobial Resistance
July 09 2020 - 9:03AM
Business Wire
- Funding to Support Development of New Antibiotics as Part of
Broader Industry Effort
- New Partnership with More than 20 Other Companies Will Focus on
Medicines that Address Most Resistant Bacteria and Life-Threatening
Infections
- Builds on Pfizer’s longstanding work to address the global
burden of infectious diseases
Pfizer Inc. (NYSE: PFE) announced today it has pledged $100
million to the new Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Action Fund,
which launched today, to help address the significant global public
health need for new antibiotics due to the rapid rise of
antibiotic-resistant infections.
The AMR Action Fund is a ground-breaking collaboration among
more than 20 biopharmaceutical companies that aims to bring 2-4 new
antibiotics to patients by 2030 through collaboration between
pharmaceutical companies, philanthropies, development banks, and
multilateral organizations to re-invigorate and accelerate
antibiotic development.
“As the COVID-19 pandemic has shown, we must invest in the
development of medicines now so that we are prepared to help
prevent the next public health crisis,” said Pfizer Chairman and
Chief Executive Albert Bourla. “We strongly believe the world
cannot tackle the growing threat of AMR without collaboration – and
that it will take a combination of prevention measures, responsible
stewardship and innovative thinking to overcome existing obstacles.
The new AMR Action Fund gives us the vehicle to do that by
investing in and stimulating a potentially stronger pipeline for
antimicrobial medicines.”
Each year 700,000 people die from AMR. By 2050, it is estimated
that AMR could claim as many as 10 million lives per year. To
combat AMR, antibiotics should only be used when necessary to
preserve their effectiveness.
While antibiotics revolutionized medicine in the 20th century
and, together with vaccination, have led to the near eradication of
many diseases in the developed world, over time, bacteria change
and adapt to the use of antibiotics, rendering them ineffective.
This makes it more difficult to treat common infections such as
pneumonia, tuberculosis and salmonellosis, leading to longer
hospital stays, higher medical costs and increased mortality.
Pfizer takes a multi-pronged approach to tackling AMR. We are a
leading developer of vaccines that help prevent infections in the
first place, reducing the need for antibiotics that may result in
resistant strains. We are also one of the few large research-based
pharmaceutical companies still active in research and development
for anti-infectives, and work with partners to close critical
prevention and treatment gaps in infectious disease around the
globe. In addition, we are committed to responsible antibiotic
stewardship, and are proud to offer one of the largest and most
accessible AMR surveillance programs in the world, called ATLAS –
the only platform that provides public access to both antifungal
and antibacterial resistance data through a single resource. ATLAS
is accessible freely to anyone, anywhere via the Web or the ATLAS
mobile application.
Pfizer’s commitment to the AMR Action Fund builds on our
long-standing work fighting infectious diseases and reducing health
disparities for patients in the United States and globally. In
partnership with organizations around the world, Pfizer is
redefining the way we fight infectious diseases by creating
meaningful and sustainable solutions that address today’s biggest
health challenges and protect the world’s most vulnerable
people.
About Pfizer: Breakthroughs That Change Patients’
Lives
At Pfizer, we apply science and our global resources to bring
therapies to people that extend and significantly improve their
lives. We strive to set the standard for quality, safety and value
in the discovery, development and manufacture of health care
products, including innovative medicines and vaccines. Every day,
Pfizer colleagues work across developed and emerging markets to
advance wellness, prevention, treatments and cures that challenge
the most feared diseases of our time. Consistent with our
responsibility as one of the world's premier innovative
biopharmaceutical companies, we collaborate with health care
providers, governments and local communities to support and expand
access to reliable, affordable health care around the world. For
more than 150 years, we have worked to make a difference for all
who rely on us. We routinely post information that may be important
to investors on our website at www.Pfizer.com. In addition, to
learn more, please visit us on www.Pfizer.com and follow us on
Twitter at @Pfizer and @Pfizer News, LinkedIn, YouTube and like us
on Facebook at Facebook.com/Pfizer.
DISCLOSURE NOTICE: The information contained in this release is
as of July 9, 2020. The Company assumes no obligation to update
forward-looking statements contained in this release as a result of
new information or future events or developments.
This release contains forward-looking information about Pfizer’s
pledge to the new Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Action Fund to
help address the significant global public health need for new
antibiotics due to the rapid rise of antibiotic-resistant
infections, including its potential benefits, that involves
substantial risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results
to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such
statements. Risks and uncertainties include, among other things,
uncertainties related to the effectiveness of the AMR Action Fund,
the uncertainties inherent in research and development; the
uncertainties inherent in business and financial planning,
including, without limitation, risks related to Pfizer’s business
and prospects, adverse developments in Pfizer’s markets, or adverse
developments in the U.S. or global capital markets, credit markets,
regulatory environment or economies generally; the impact of
COVID-19 on our business, operations and financial results; and
competitive developments.
A further description of risks and uncertainties can be found in
Pfizer’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended
December 31, 2019 and in its subsequent reports on Form 10-Q,
including in the sections thereof captioned “Risk Factors” and
“Forward-Looking Information and Factors That May Affect Future
Results,” as well as in its subsequent reports on Form 8-K, all of
which are filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
and available at www.sec.gov and www.pfizer.com.
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version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200709005221/en/
Media Relations: Sally Beatty 1 (347) 330 7867
Sally.beatty@pfizer.com
Investor Relations: Ryan Crowe 1 (212) 733 8160
Ryan.crowe@pfizer.com
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