Pharmaceutical giants not ready for next pandemic, report warns

Julia Kollewe for The Guardian reports on key findings from the 2021 Access to Medicine Index and the warnings that pathogens posing pandemic risks are going unaddressed by large pharmaceutical companies.

In the wake of COVID-19, the pharma companies have prioritised coronavirus research in their pipelines, but immediate action is also required for antibiotics. "Time is running out to develop replacements," notes Jayasree K. Iyer, Executive Director, as she discusses the threat of antimicrobial resistance and the need for the industry to mobilise. Warning that the next pandemic could be caused by a "drug-resistant infection", she identifies the pathogen that poses the next potential health risk.

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