Takeda Joins Consortium Antibiotic and Pharmaceutical Residues from Water

As of July 1, 2021, Takeda Netherlands became a member of the Dutch Consortium Antibiotic and Pharmaceutical Residues from Water, a public-private partnership established to combat the spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) via surface water. Aarnoud Overkamp, ​​general manager of Takeda Netherlands: “Takeda takes the importance of sustainability seriously. With the increasing number of bacteria that have become resistant to antibiotics, antimicrobial resistance could negate many medical advances. Takeda is joining the Consortium because of its sustainability ambitions.” Maarten van Dongen, director of AMR Insights: “AMR is a growing global problem. The key to successfully combating AMR is that parties in the chain work together and complement each other where possible. Let’s strengthen and accelerate this collaboration as much as possible.”

About Takeda Netherlands
Takeda is an international pharmaceutical company of Japanese origin that has been committed to a better perspective for people with serious health problems for 240 years. Takeda is consistently guided by its values – putting the patient first is our top priority, followed by building trust in society, strengthening its reputation and developing the business. Together with healthcare institutions and other parties, Takeda provides innovative medicines, therapies and applications that help patients move forward in a sustainable way. Takeda plays an active role within the Sustainable Pharmacy Coalition (VIG, Bogin, Neprofarm and KNMP) with the ambition to make the medication chain more sustainable. [i]

About sustainability at Takeda
In 2019, Takeda Netherlands was one of the first biopharmaceutical companies in the Netherlands to sign the Green Deal Sustainable Care (Green Deal). Takeda Netherlands is committed to reducing its environmental impact, including by reducing CO2 emissions, water and electricity consumption and by making its footprint circular by 2050 in line with government policy. In addition, Takeda Netherlands has committed in the Green Deal to jointly help reduce the amount of medicine residues in surface water and groundwater and to help create a healthy living environment inside and outside healthcare institutions. Takeda’s sustainability efforts are recognized in the major indices reporting companies’ performance in access to medicine and sustainability. [ii] Takeda will soon publish its carbon footprint in the Netherlands as part of its Green Deal commitments. As of 2020, Takeda was already operating globally carbon neutral throughout its entire value chain. Takeda has committed to zero carbon emissions by 2040. [iii]

About the AMR Action Fund
On June 9, 2020, a new AMR action fund was launched, with 23 leading biopharmaceutical companies pledging to invest nearly $1 billion to save collapsing antibiotic research and development. The partnership aims to bring between two and four new antibiotics to patients by 2030 and facilitate much-needed long-term policy and incentive solutions. Worldwide, Takeda is one of the founders of the AMR action fund, which was set up, among other things, to bring at least 4 new antibiotics onto the market before 2030. [iv] Several political parties have recently argued in the House of Representatives for the development of new antibiotics to combat resistant bacteria. [v]

About the Consortium
The Consortium Antibiotic and Pharmaceutical Residues from Water focuses specifically on reducing the spread of AMR via waste and surface water in and outside the Netherlands, in line with the ambitions of the government program ‘Chain approach to medicine residues from water’. [vi] The Consortium currently consists of 18 public and private organizations from the water, healthcare and pharmaceutical sectors. The Consortium combines knowledge of and experience with technological solutions for AMR. In addition, the Consortium is investigating new solutions for various local and central applications.

About AMR Insights
AMR Insights focuses on informing, educating and connecting professionals, public & private organizations, governments and NGOs in and outside the Netherlands who, consciously or unconsciously, are involved with AMR, with the aim of contributing to the fight against this fast-growing global problem. AMR Insights was set up in 2017 as a result of an in-depth feasibility study into a new information platform about AMR, conducted by 12 Dutch public and private organizations including TNO, Deltares, STOWA, DSM Sinochem and the Association of Innovative Medicines (VIG). AMR Insights sends out a worldwide newsletter, offers an information platform, organizes training, seminars, international symposia and innovation missions. In addition, AMR Insights is developing a worldwide database with (technological) solutions to the resistance problem. AMR Insights now has a growing worldwide network of Ambassadors associated with AMR Insights of more than 300 professionals in 55 countries.

[i] See https://www.vereniginginnovatievegeneesmiddelen.nl/publicaties/inspiratiegids-duurzame-farmacieketen.

[ii] See https://www.takeda.com/newsroom/featured-topics/dow-jones-sustainability-index-recognizestakedas-efforts-in-sustainability/ and https://www.takeda.com/newsroom/newsreleases/2021/takeda-achieves-industry-leading-positions-in2021-access-to-medicine-index/.

[iii] See https://www.takeda.com/newsroom/newsreleases/2021/takeda-achieved-carbon-neutrality-in-2020/.

[iv] See https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200709005154/en/%C2%A0New-AMR-Action-Fund-steps-in-to-save-collapsing-antibiotic-pipeline-with-pharmaceutical-industry-investment-of-US1-billion.

[v] See https://www.lc.nl/binnenland/Partijen-doe-meer-om-nieuwe-antibiotica-te-ontwikkelen-26888257.html.

[vi] Recently nominated by the UN for the Future Policy Award: https://www.worldfuturecouncil.org/fpa-2021-shortlist/.