Contingency Crisis Response
Reports of new coronavirus cases began to appear in Wuhan, China, at the end of 2019, and a pandemic was declared by the WHO on March 11, 2020. Since then, the number of infected patients has continued to increase while the epidemic area has changed, and Japan is also showing signs of a second wave (as of July 2020).
In Singapore, South Korea, and other countries where the SARS and MERS epidemics have spread, the number of cases is increasing. In Singapore, South Korea, and other countries where SARS and MERS outbreaks have spread, the government has responded immediately by strengthening its inspection system and other measures based on the lessons learned from the outbreaks.
Although the number of deaths from new coronavirus infection in Japan is still lower than in other countries, the need to prepare for infectious diseases from both a domestic and international perspective has been highlighted. Against this backdrop, member companies of the Japan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association (JPMA) have been quick to develop therapeutic drugs and vaccines against novel coronavirus infection, as well as to provide support for the diversion and expansion of indications for existing drugs (drug repositioning). However, in light of the aforementioned issues, we believe that it is important to identify specific issues from normal times and establish an environment to formulate and implement measures to address them, in order to enable the nation to make decisions quickly and in response to the situation. The Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association of Japan (PMAJ) submitted the "Proposal for the Creation of Infectious Drugs and Vaccines: In the Wake of the Outbreak of New Coronavirus Infections" to the Japanese government on June 17, 2020.
The proposal aims to realize flexible collaboration among industry, government, and academia, with the national government taking responsibility for emerging and reemerging infectious diseases that cannot be predicted when they will spread in Japan, and proposes the establishment of a command post function to oversee everything from immunization measures during normal times to infectious disease countermeasures in times of emergency. In addition, a support system should be promptly established to minimize the economic burden and risks associated with private companies and research institutions embarking on research and development of therapeutic drugs and vaccines for emerging and reemerging infectious diseases that are not clearly foreseeable, as well as the establishment of production systems, The report also proposes the desired form of measures to combat emerging and reemerging infectious diseases, which will also contribute to Japan's security.
The R&D-oriented pharmaceutical companies that are members of the Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association of Japan (PMAJ) are keenly aware of our mission to create treatments and vaccines for new coronavirus infections and to provide a stable supply of pharmaceutical products. We will work together with industry, government, and academia to contribute not only to the domestic but also to the international community.
Related Information
Proposals of the Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association of Japan (PMAJ) regarding contingency crisis response in infectious diseases in the past