NCGM and Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma Initiate International Project on Measures against AMR and Promote the Proper Use of Antibiotics in Vietnam

July 9, 2019

National Center for Global Health and Medicine
Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma Co., Ltd.

National Center for Global Health and Medicine (Head Office: Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo; President: Dr. Norihiro Kokudo; hereinafter, “NCGM”) and Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma Co., Ltd. (Head Office: Osaka, Japan; Representative Director, President and CEO: Hiroshi Nomura; hereinafter, “Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma”) today announced that they had started a joint Antibiotic Susceptibility Surveillance Study in Vietnam. Its aims are to promote the proper use of antibiotics and contribute to antimicrobial resistance (AMR) countermeasures in Vietnam.

In recent years, AMR has been recognized as a social problem requiring global level action. In Vietnam it has been reported that resistance to antibiotics for various Gram-negative rods, typically Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter spp., is particularly high and this is a major problem.

In view of this situation, in the study, with the cooperation of Vietnamese medical institutions, NCGM and Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma will collect fresh clinical isolates and investigate the susceptibility of various Gram-negative bacteria isolated from them to various antibiotics in vitro. The study will leverage the extensive experience of NCGM and Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma in antibiotic susceptibility surveillance as well as the long-standing relationships in the areas of medical care and medicine that NCGM has with Vietnamese institutions.

NCGM and Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma will collaborate closely based on an international research platform that places priority on public benefit.

The platform being developed to manage the study uses a cloud system that maximizes security and will provide efficient documentation control and central monitoring.

To mark the start of the study, a kick-off ceremony attended by stakeholders from Japan and Vietnam was held in Hanoi in May.

By participating in the joint study and sharing its results, Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma aims to raise awareness of the importance of using antibiotic susceptibility data in routine tests to enable medical institutions to select the most appropriate antibiotics for treatment.

Through the experience in the area of industry-academia-government collaborations, NCGM will actively expand the use of a global clinical research platform that will lead on to new R&D projects. It aims to carry out international clinical studies that promote the development of pharmaceuticals with the focus on infectious diseases, intractable diseases and neglected diseases. NCGM also aims to support corporate activities that have a high level of public benefit and contribute to the global expansion of Japanese medical care and advancement of the pharmaceutical industry.

（Reference information）

Title of the study

Surveillance study of in vitro antibiotic susceptibility of various Gram-negative bacteria isolated in Vietnam

About Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma’s antibiotic business in Vietnam

Via Zuellig Pharma, since 2017, Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma has been selling MERONEM® (generic name: meropenem hydrate, brand name in Japan: MEROPEN®), a carbapenem antibiotic preparation discovered in-house, in Vietnam and four other Southeast Asian countries as well as in Hong Kong. In 2019, Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma has been reinforcing business in Southeast Asia by having its subsidiary in Singapore take on additional roles and responsibilities and establishing a local subsidiary in Thailand.

NCGM AMR countermeasures

AMR Clinical Reference Center established by NCGM based on an AMR countermeasures action plan for Japan has been involved in clinical epidemiology and information provision programs as well as supporting educational activities. It has created a nationwide surveillance system to monitor antibiotic usage and based on the information collected, supports measures to prevent outbreaks of AMR infections in collaboration with local authorities. The center also compiles guidelines manuals and educational materials for the public and healthcare professionals, and provides information.

Inquiries

Corporate Communications
Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma Co., Ltd.
TEL: +81-6-6203-1407 (Osaka) /TEL: +81-3-5159-3300 (Tokyo)