On 19 May 2025, IFPMA delivered a statement at the 78th session of the World Health Assembly on the pandemic agreement.

WHO can play a crucial role in coordinating health-related responses to infectious disease outbreaks and humanitarian efforts, working alongside other organizations providing on-the-ground support.

IFPMA has constructively supported the negotiation process over the past three years, providing industry expertise to help inform the debate. From the outset, industry made commitments to deliver equitable access, pledging to reserve an allocation of real-time production of vaccines, treatments, and diagnostics for priority populations in lower-income countries and take measures to make them available and affordable. At the same time, we have voiced caution not to dilute or undo the frameworks that have worked well, including those relating to intellectual property, voluntary licensing and technology transfer, or make the inter-pandemic burden on industry so high that it disincentivizes future engagement.

Given the current political and financial context, we question the feasibility of WHO dedicating significant resources to new initiatives that go beyond its core mandate on norms and standards. We encourage WHO to further prioritize areas where it has unique added value within its mandate and can best deliver on its mission.

The pandemic agreement is a starting point, not an end in itself. Private companies will remain critical by driving the innovation necessary to develop and deliver the medicines and vaccines we will need when the next pandemic hits. It is essential that our expertise and experience is drawn upon again as negotiations continue.

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.

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.

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Media Contact

Elliot Dunster e.dunster@ifpma.org