Global Biopharma Industry Pulling Out All the Stops to Address Coronavirus

The International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations (IFPMA), representing the world’s leading biopharmaceutical companies, has mobilized on an unprecedented scale to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. The biopharmaceutical industry commits to accelerate its effort to use its skills, technology and resources to bring safe, effective diagnostics, treatments and vaccines to patients around the world.

David Ricks, Chairman and CEO of Eli Lilly and Co. and IFPMA President, said, “We are sending a clear signal of how seriously industry is taking the pandemic and the need to act as one team. So, we are sharing today our commitments on how we, as an industry, are stepping up to do all we can to fight this pandemic.”

The commitments from leading companies in the field will share scientific expertise, technical skills and manufacturing capabilities to help bring therapies and vaccines to protect humans from this escalating pandemic. The biopharmaceutical industry is uniquely positioned to work in partnership with governments, the WHO and health systems across the world in a concerted, collective response.

Biopharmaceutical companies began screening their libraries of medicines to identify potential treatments once the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) genome sequence was shared, building on the knowledge gained from experience with new viruses such as SARS, MERS, Zika, and Ebola. The industry has devoted significant resources and worked with partners in public health to develop technologies that have dramatically shortened the time it takes to decode viruses and develop a potential vaccine. As a result, platforms are available to facilitate development of vaccines that enter clinical trials quickly.

As of today, more than 150 clinical trials are underway to test new and existing medicines. At least nine IFPMA member companies are researching and developing new diagnostic tests, vaccines or treatments and testing existing medicines to treat those infected with the virus.