Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) already kills millions of people worldwide each year, and this urgent global health threat is rising faster than predicted. Among the drivers of drug resistance is the release of antibiotic waste into the environment. By responsibly managing and disposing of their antibiotic manufacturing waste, pharmaceutical companies can help combat AMR and limit their impact on the environment. A new report from the Access to Medicine Foundation, an independent non-profit organisation, zeroes in on responsible manufacturing, setting out three clear areas pharmaceutical companies can focus on to ensure they limit AMR risk when manufacturing their antibiotics.
- A handful of companies are taking promising action, with the report’s recommendations highlighting what needs to be done to boost efforts and how more companies can step up.
- Specifically, companies can employ effective methods to limit and to quantify AMR risk before releasing their wastewater into the environment, as demonstrated by Centrient, Sandoz and Shionogi.
- Notably, Centrient, GSK, Pfizer and Shionogi report compliance with discharge limits at the majority of their upstream suppliers, showing how companies can transform the antibiotic supply chain.
- The report also demonstrates how proactively adopting and scaling responsible manufacturing practices is a critical way for companies to safeguard their business for the future, especially considering how the global policy and procurement landscapes are shifting.
With the need to tackle AMR growing ever more urgent, it is critical to consider all the various drivers than can fuel drug resistance – including the release of antibiotic waste into the environment.