The COVID-19 epidemic is getting far away, and the international community is still enthusiastic about global public health issues.
The ongoing Davos Forum has set up a sub forum specifically titled "Preparing for Disease X.".
The so-called X disease, according to the United Nations, represents a new type of disease that is unknown to humanity. When it first appeared, humans knew very little about it; It is unclear whether it is lethal, highly contagious, or poses a threat to human lifestyle. But what scientists are aware of is that the next "X disease" may arrive at any time, and humans must be prepared.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has also warned that the unknown "X disease" may lead to 20 times more deaths than the COVID-19 epidemic. What new efforts should be made by the health care system to meet the multiple challenges in the future?
On the 15th local time, David Fredrickson, Executive Vice President of multinational pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca, gave an exclusive interview to First Financial at the Davos Forum. In addition to answering popular questions about epidemic prevention and artificial intelligence, Frederickson also affirmed the research and development capabilities of the Chinese pharmaceutical industry, believing that China has become a source of innovation in the global pharmaceutical research and development field.
How to respond?
When it comes to "disease X", or the next possible pandemic, Fredrickson believes that one very important thing is that the whole medical industry is united in the COVID-19 to deal with the epidemic, which gives the world great confidence. "A resilient and sustainable medical industry has taken shape, but we also need to be vigilant so that we can learn from the past and be ready."
He believes that there are several very important points in preventing and preparing for new possible epidemics. Firstly, it is necessary to ensure collaboration between the public and private sectors today, with a focus on unmet disease areas and areas where future epidemics may occur. Secondly, it is necessary to focus on systemic resilience and investment in healthcare and health. Finally, equally important is to ensure a flexible regulatory framework that enables us to meet demand and provide drugs fairly on a global scale.
In Davos, artificial intelligence is a hot topic. Frederickson told First Financial that the explosive development of artificial intelligence technology is indeed exciting for its potential in the prevention or treatment of global pandemics. "Indeed, in the field of research and development, we have seen tools such as knowledge graphs that can help us advance the process of inventing drugs faster. Similarly, we have also seen the important role of artificial intelligence in accelerating global drug production and providing drugs more effectively." He said, "Another thing that excites me is that what we see is just the beginning. I think what is very exciting in the future is how we can use artificial intelligence to create decision support tools for doctors and healthcare professionals to provide evidence-based medicine services to all patients worldwide."
The Chinese market is very important
Frederickson stated that for AstraZeneca, China is a very important market. "We have always been concerned about China. Since the early 1990s, we have launched more than 40 drugs in China. At the same time, AstraZeneca has more than 16000 employees across China, involving research and development, production, sales, and marketing businesses."
For the Chinese market, Frederickson told First Financial that the most important thing now is that AstraZeneca sees China as a source of innovation for pharmaceutical research and development. "It is not only a source of innovation in China, but also a global source of innovation. Whether it is with AbleZeta in the field of cell therapy, or Genxi Biotechnology in the field of cell therapy; there is also Konoya Biotechnology, with whom we collaborate on specific antibody conjugation ratios; and we also collaborate with Chengyi Biotechnology in the oral administration of small molecule GLP-1. These are all collaborations that have occurred in the past few months."
AstraZeneca announced in December last year that it plans to acquire Chinese biotech company Genxi Biotechnology for a total price of approximately $1.2 billion. Frederickson stated that AstraZeneca will continue to find excellent innovative partners in China and hopes to continue working with them.