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DSM Sinochem Pharmaceuticals calls for urgent clean-up of antibiotics supply chain On October 19th the campaigning organization Changing Markets published their report ‘Superbugs in the Supply Chain’, showing the occurrence of drug-resistant bacteria in water streams surrounding pharmaceutical manufacturing sites in India. The report traces a direct line from these irresponsible producers to patients in Europe and the United States, underlining the seriousness of environmental pollution from antibiotics production and its contribution to the global health and wealth threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). In response, DSM Sinochem Pharmaceuticals calls on all players in the supply chain to take their responsibility, and stop buying, using and selling irresponsibly produced antibiotics. The report reveals the results of an on-the-ground investigation by investigative agency Ecostorm which took place in June 2016 and subsequent analysis of water samples by the University of Cambridge. It found high levels of drug resistant bacteria at sites in three Indian cities Hyderabad, New Delhi and Chennai. As the report reveals, out of 34 sites tested, 16 were found to contain bacteria resistant to major classes of antibiotics, namely Cephalosporins, Fluoroquinolones and Carbapenems. Of the antibiotics manufacturing plants tested, three factories found to be severe antibiotic resistance hotspots. The report also traces a direct line from these manufacturers to market players in the United States and European countries like UK, France and Germany. Further supply chain links were also uncovered between polluting Chinese factories and Western markets. Substantial quantities of antibiotics released from polluting factories provide a perfect breeding ground for drug-resistant bacteria. These ‘superbugs’ are not only a serious danger to the nearby neighbourhoods and its people, but also contribute to the global spread of the staggering health and wealth threat of AMR. It is estimated by the WHO that if the rising peril of ‘superbugs’ is not defeated, 10 million lives every year could be lost by 2050. In the report a DSP subsidiary is mentioned in relation to Asiatic, one of the sites around which high levels of drug-resistant bacteria were found. Contrary to what was claimed falsely on their website, DSP is not a customer of Asiatic. DSP has long been vocal about the role of the industry in the fight against AMR. The company has regularly called on both the industry and the entire value chain to act responsibly and stop buying, using and selling irresponsibly produced antibiotics. As a leader in the sustainable production of antibiotics, DSP has already implemented the basic requirements for clean and sustainable antibiotics production at all sites, including: - using the cleanest production technology available for its products
- operating dedicated wastewater treatment plants 24/7/365 as an integral part of the manufacturing process at all sites in combination with antimicrobial activity testing.
Some other responsible antibiotics producers have done too. DSP has been one of the driving forces in the establishment of the pharmaceutical industry ‘Roadmap for Progress on Combating AMR’, signed by 13 leading pharmaceutical companies including DSP and presented at the UNGA on September 20th 2016. A key commitment in this Roadmap is to reduce the environmental impact from antibiotics production. This means all signatory companies will review their own manufacturing and supply chains and jointly establish a common framework for managing antibiotic discharge. The companies will work with various stakeholders to develop a practical mechanism to transparently demonstrate that supply chains meet the standards in the framework. Furthermore, the signatory companies will actively engage in establishing science-driven, risk-based targets for antibiotic release. DSP calls other antibiotic manufacturers – and especially the larger generic ones – to show leadership and join the UNGA Roadmap. Karl Rotthier, CEO of DSM Sinochem Pharmaceuticals at DSP, says: “The environmental impact of antibiotics manufacturing is firmly on the agenda of 13 leading pharmaceutical companies now. All pharmaceutical companies, both the innovators and generic producers, together with other stakeholders, must and can act fast to clean-up our supply chains. We all owe it to the world to produce essential life-saving antibiotics in the most responsible and sustainable way possible, and should conserve the effectiveness of existing antibiotics today, and for generations to come.” “The report on ‘Superbugs in the Supply Chain’ is another piece of evidence of the occurrence of high concentrations of drug-resistant bacteria in polluted waters around antibiotics manufacturing sites even though contamination could in theory also be caused by other sources”, says Lucas Wiarda, Head of the Sustainable Antibiotics Program at DSP. ”It is of crucial importance that academia with the support of e.g. the WHO increase their efforts and collect hard evidence fast of the devastating effect of irresponsible manufacturing, leading to AMR. As DSP we don't want to wait for this hard evidence, however. Therefore we call on all antibiotics producers, including generics manufacturers – also in India and China - to sign up for the UNGA Industry Roadmap.” * See also the ‘Bad Medicine’ Report by SumOfUs and studies by J. Larsson: “Effluent from drug manufacturers contains extremely high levels of pharmaceuticals.” Journal of Hazardous Materials, Volume 148, Issue 3, 30 September 2007, pp. 751–755; and “Pollution from drug manufacturing: review and perspectives”, Philosophical Transactions of The Royal Society B Biological Sciences 369(1656), November 2014. | 
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发表于 2017-10-14 08:37:22
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