Innovation must remain at the heart of pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response, says pharma industry
As world leaders gather at the United Nations to agree on a Political Declaration on Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness, and Response (PPPR), the global pharmaceutical industry is urging governments to seize this opportunity and accelerate practical commitments that strengthen preparedness for future health crises.
Recent outbreaks – including Mpox, Hantavirus, and Ebola Bundibugyo – remind us that health security threats are continuous, and not isolated events. With a 50% probability of a COVID-scale pandemic within the next 25 years, and with future pandemics projected to cost over $700 billion each year, strengthening pharmaceutical innovation is central to protecting populations, economic stability, and health security.
This week, at the United Nations High‑Level Meeting on Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness, and Response, the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations (IFPMA), will reaffirm industry’s commitment to building a world better prepared to prevent, detect, and respond to future pandemics.
Prioritize practical measures
IFPMA will call for governments converging in New York to sustain R&D investment into medicines and vaccines for infectious diseases, as well as address the practical barriers that prevent them from reaching people quickly during health emergencies. This includes better surveillance systems to detect new threats; the rapid sharing of pathogen data that is needed for scientific research; strengthening regulatory and clinical trial infrastructure; and underwriting procurement mechanisms and delivery systems that are needed.
Dr. David Reddy, Director General, IFPMA, said: “Medicines and vaccines will remain a cornerstone of pandemic prevention, preparedness and response. As governments agree on the Political Declaration, they should adopt policies that enable the discovery and development of life-saving products and strengthen the systems needed to deliver them rapidly, worldwide. Preparedness does not begin when a crisis hits. It is built through the choices countries make every day to value innovation and invest in resilient health systems.”
Pandemic Agreement proposals risk adding complexity to future outbreak response
At the same time as discussions are taking place in New York, negotiators continue to work to finalize the details of the Pandemic Agreement in Geneva. Some of the current proposals under discussion could add complexity and cost to the response to future pandemics, and delay access to critical samples and information that scientific research relies on to develop and deliver medicines and vaccines.
IFPMA has warned these approaches will do nothing to strengthen the R&D pipeline to improve global preparedness and will likely lead to fewer companies working in these crucial areas of public health during interpandemic periods.
Lessons from the Ebola Bundibugyo outbreak
The current Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has already generated important lessons that should inform both the discussions around the UN Political Declaration and negotiations on the final details of the WHO Pandemic Agreement.
With no treatments or vaccines currently approved against the Bundibugyo Ebola virus, pharmaceutical companies have stepped up to identify priority candidates for clinical studies. Nevertheless, the outbreak underscores the need for greater R&D investment to expand the pipeline of vaccines and therapeutics to address emerging threats – dependent on timely and open sharing of pathogens and data, and voluntary collaborations that allow science to move quickly.
Dr. David Reddy said: “As four months have passed since the announcement of the Ebola Bundibugyo outbreak, it is clearer than ever that preparedness depends on sustained medical innovation. This relies on strong partnerships, rapid access to pathogens and data, and practical solutions to the real barriers that slow outbreak response — from regulatory readiness and clinical trial capacity to financing, procurement, manufacturing, and delivery. These principles should remain front and center in the UN Political Declaration on Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness, and Response (PPPR) and in the ongoing negotiations on the final details of the WHO Pandemic Agreement.”
About IFPMA
IFPMA represents the innovative pharmaceutical industry at the international level, engaging in official relations with the United Nations and multilateral organizations. Our vision is to ensure that scientific progress translates into the next generation of medicines and vaccines that deliver a healthier future for people everywhere.
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To achieve this, we act as a trusted partner, bringing our members' expertise to champion pharmaceutical innovation, drive policy that supports the research, development, and delivery of health technologies, and create sustainable solutions that advance global health.
