Report links global pharma companies to rise in antibiotic resistant bacteria

A report has been released today which links several global pharma companies with Chinese factories which are dangerously contributing to antimicrobial resistance (AMR) by improperly disposing of their pharmaceutical waste.

Consumer watchdog SumOfUs.org reveals that US pharma major Pfizer (NYSE: PFE) is among the companies which have sourced antibiotics from a polluting Chinese factory. It further reveals links between three polluting Chinese companies and one of the world’s largest generic drug manufacturers, McKesson, which owns several European brands. The world’s largest generics manufacturer, Israel-headquartered Teva Pharmaceutical Industries (NYSE: TEVA), was also found to be sourcing antibiotics from several polluting factories, the report claims.

According to studies by UK government-sponsored Review on Antimicrobial Resistance, AMR could result in up to 10 million deaths and a loss of up to $100 trillion worth of economic output between now and mid-century if it is not addressed. The UK’s Chief Medical Officer Dame Sally Davies has spoken of the “catastrophic threat” posed by AMR and called for global action to address this problem.