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[Event Report] Stabilizing the Supply of Antimicrobials: An AMR Alliance Japan Forum (January 15, 2021)

AMR Alliance Japan (Secretariat: Health and Global Policy Institute) held a forum on Stabilizing the Supply of Antimicrobials.

AMR Alliance Japan has been working to support political momentum and promote broad-based multi-stakeholder discussion with the aim of advancing policies that can stabilize the supply of pharmaceuticals, including antimicrobials, since 2018. The discussion at this forum has been summarized in a short report available for viewing at the bottom of this page.

In light of the situation with novel coronavirus, this meeting was carried out primarily online. On-site participants were encouraged to keep a safe physical distance from each other.

 

■ Overview
Date: January 15, 2021 (Friday)
Organizer: AMR Alliance Japan (Secretariat: Health and Global Policy Institute)

■ Program
Welcome Remarks
Matt McEnany (AMR Alliance Japan/Senior Manager, Health and Global Policy Institute)

Presentation: Concerning the Stable Supply of Antimicrobials
Hiroshi Kiyota (Former President of Japan Society of Chemotherapy/Chairman of the Stakeholder Meeting on Stabilizing the Supply of Pharmaceuticals, Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare)

Panel Discussion “Future efforts and the actions required of each sector”
Chair:

Hiroshi Kiyota (Same as above)

Panelists:
Working Group (WG) Progress and Outlook After the Selection of Priority Pharmaceuticals
Testuya Matsumoto (President of the Japan Society of Chemotherapy / Chief Professor, International University of Health and Welfare/ Member of the Stakeholder Meeting on Stabilizing the Supply of Pharmaceuticals, Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare)

Current and Future Efforts to Ensure the Stable Supply of Pharmaceuticals
Toshiro Hayashi (Director, Economics Affairs Division, Health Policy Bureau, Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare)

Challenges in Ensuring Supply of the Basic Antimicrobial Cefazolin
Hiroshi Shimazaki (Senior Executive, Nichi–Iko Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.)

Harmonizing Quality Requirements and Pharmaceutical Regulations for Antimicrobials
Osamu Hiruta (Former Chairman of Quality Committee, Pharmaceutical Manufacturers’ Associations of Japan / Specially Appointed Professor, Quality Assurance / Quality Control Joint Research Course, Kumamoto Health Science University)

How Dependence on China for Antimicrobial Production Effects Drug Price
Takuko Sawada (Vice President, Shionogi Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.)

The Importance of Ensuring a Stable Supply of Antimicrobials from the Perspective of AMR
Yuki Uehara (Department of Clinical Laboratory, Infectious Diseases, St. Luke’s International Hospital, Representative Caretaker of Japan Infectious Disease Education Study Group)

Antimicrobials from a citizen’s perspective
Kyoko Ama (Board Member, Japan Patient Support Research Organization / Former Representative, Ippan Shadan Hojin Shiro Shoni Iryo Mamoro Kodomo–tachi no Kai)

Efforts for Stable Supply of Pharmaceuticals in the United Kingdom
Diane Lloyd (Deputy Head, Global Challenges, British Embassy Tokyo)

Facilitator:
Tomohiro Shibata (AMR Alliance Japan/Senior Associate, Health and Global Policy Institute)

Closing Remarks
Kiyoshi Kurokawa (Chairman, Health and Global Policy Institute)

 

・・・

 

“Stabilizing the Supply of Antimicrobials: An AMR Alliance Japan Forum” Report

Strengthening the Antimicrobial Supply Chain – an Issue of National Security

February 18, 2021

 

Shortages of pharmaceuticals can have a serious impact on public health. This is especially true for antimicrobials. In order to strengthen policies meant to prevent pharmaceutical shortages, in March 2020, the Economic Affairs Division of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) Health Policy Bureau established the “Stakeholder Meeting on Stabilizing the Supply of Pharmaceuticals.” This Meeting published its findings in September 2020. Because Japan is highly dependent on overseas supply chains for its pharmaceuticals and related products, the Japanese Government announced that it would provide financial support for efforts to build a domestic infrastructure for pharmaceutical manufacturing during an extraordinary Cabinet Meeting in April 2020. The Government then further increased its financial support for this issue within a supplementary budget announced the following December. With the aim of further supporting efforts to policy momentum on this topic, on January 15, 2021, AMR Alliance Japan hosted “Stabilizing the Supply of Antimicrobials: An AMR Alliance Japan Forum.” The key points raised by speakers during that forum are summarized below.

  1. Ensuring the stable supply of antimicrobials is a matter of national security and crisis management for every country. It is therefore important to share information widely on preventative measures and costs related to antimicrobial and pharmaceutical supply issues.
  2. Antimicrobial supply problems contribute to the spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
  3. For both existing and new antimicrobials, investments must be made in human resources, supply chains, and manufacturing facilities. Quality standards must be harmonized to ensure supply chain stability.
  4. Supply chain issues cannot be solved without Government involvement. To facilitate efforts by the Government, it is important that more be done to communicate with the public about this issue and facilitate public understanding.
  5. Antimicrobial supply problems are global issue for which international cooperation is essential. Attractive market conditions must be established to encourage developers of new antimicrobials.

 

Further details are provided below. 

  1. Ensuring the stable supply of antimicrobials is a matter of national security and crisis management for every country. It is therefore important to share information widely on preventative measures and costs related to antimicrobial and pharmaceutical supply issues.

(“Key Drugs” include: penicillin G, ampicillin sodium/sulbactam, tazobactam/piperacillin, cefazolin, cefmetazole, ceftriaxone, cefepime, meropenem, levofloxacin, vancomycin, spectinomycin hydrochloride, metronidazole, colistin sodium methanesulfonate, faropenem sodium, aztreonam, amikacin sulfate, amoxicillin hydrate, cefditoren pivoxil, minocycline hydrochloride, azithromycin)

 

  1. Antimicrobial supply problems contribute to the spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR).

 

  1. For both existing and new antimicrobials, investments must be made in human resources, supply chains, and manufacturing facilities. Quality standards must be harmonized to ensure supply chain stability.

 

  1. Supply chain issues cannot be solved without Government involvement. To facilitate efforts by the Government, it is important that more be done to communicate with the public about this issue and facilitate public understanding.

 

  1. Antimicrobial supply problems are global issue for which international cooperation is essential. Attractive market conditions must be established to encourage developers of new antimicrobials.

 

This report does not represent the opinion of any specific speaker. It was compiled by the AMR Alliance Japan Secretariat (HPGI) based on discussions held at the forum.

[Event Report] Stabilizing the Supply of Antimicrobials: An AMR Alliance Japan Forum (January 15, 2021)
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