Vigenin: Europe must not wait for the next health crisis to act

“Antimicrobial resistance could turn infections that we treat routinely today back into a serious threat to people’s lives and health. Europe must act in time. We need to regulate the use of antibiotics, create incentives to develop new medicines and guarantee patients access to them in all member states.” This was said by Kristian Vigenin, Bulgarian MEP from the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats, at a meeting in Brussels with representatives of the Japanese pharmaceutical company Shionogi.

Meeting the Shionogi team

Vigenin spoke with the company’s team, led by Joe Taylor, Executive Director for Corporate and Institutional Affairs. The main topic of the meeting was how the European Union can be better prepared for future health crises.

Antimicrobial resistance

Particular attention was paid to antimicrobial resistance, a process in which bacteria and other microorganisms stop responding to the medicines used against them.

“The problem cannot be solved only through more responsible use of existing antibiotics. We need incentives to develop new medicines and mechanisms to make sure that, once they are developed, they are available to patients in all member states,” Vigenin stressed.

Health security after COVID-19

The discussion also covered the wider topic of health security. “The COVID-19 pandemic showed how quickly an unknown pathogen can grow into a global crisis. The next serious threat could be a new virus, bacterium or other disease for which there is currently no vaccine and no effective treatment,” Vigenin noted.

“We cannot wait for the next crisis to start building the capacity we need. The EU must invest in advance in research, production capacity, stocks of critical medicines and rapid response mechanisms. Preparation has to start before a crisis, not after it has already hit,” Kristian Vigenin said.

Shionogi is one of Japan’s leading pharmaceutical companies, with a history of almost 150 years and a focus on developing innovative medicines.