In times when a single mutation could cause the next pandemic, Big Pharma is lobbying for the deregulation of pollution in its production facilities. The leaked version of the new EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive shows that the profit end of a supply chain is always a priority for the pharmaceutical industry. The deregulation that was lobbied for makes the production of pharmaceuticals cheaper for the industry, thus creating more profit. But high levels of water and air pollution caused by production plants already show how problematic this deregulation is.
Pollution deregulation represents a serious threat by accelerating the spread of antibiotic resistance, fueling future pandemics. This issue highlights that globalization is not just about supply chains but also comes with shared responsibility for environmental and public health. Currently, antibiotic resistance causes approximately 700,000 deaths per year worldwide, a figure projected to rise to 10 million annually within the next 25 years.
Read more: Wars are fueling the rise of resistant superbugs in the Global South
Stricter environmental regulations in Western countries have contributed to the outsourcing of antibiotic production to countries in Asia. This shift, along with its associated environmental consequences, follows a broader colonial pattern driven by the pharmaceutical industry’s profit motives. The legacies of colonialism continue to shape labor relations and environmental practices in the Global South, often manifesting in labor exploitation and environmental neglect. In this context, outsourcing of pharmaceutical production becomes appealing to the industry.
As a result of this process, supply chains have become more fragile and prone to shortages—an issue observed in Germany, once known as “the pharmacy of the world,” now facing shortages of even basic medical supplies like saline solution. Germany has attempted to strengthen its supply chains by requiring higher stock levels for certain products, but this has seen little success. The law did not address the low prices imposed on producers, becoming another driver of outsourcing by threatening the companies’ profit margins. This highlights how, in the current pharmaceutical production model, rich Western countries can attempt to introduce mechanisms to control pricing yet cause problematic outcomes elsewhere.
As highlighted in the Medscape article “Germany’s Medication Supply Issues Persist Despite New Law,” there was no success to bring back production into Germany due to these low prices and the environmental regulations, meaning the pricing politics pushed productions to countries with less regulations and lower wages. The same article ends with a statement from a pharmaceutical company warning that “irreplaceable medications could become so unprofitable that they would have to be removed from the market.”
This market-driven logic leads to Big Pharma presenting only two choices: either withdraw essential medicines from circulation or continue polluting the environment, increasing the risk of future pandemics—an outcome from which the industry itself would ultimately profit. Notably, this situation is unfolding in Germany, one of the richest countries in the world, with, according to mainstream classifications, one of the most advanced healthcare systems.
Read more: Public Pharma vs. abusive prices: the case of the latest HIV-prevention drug
As the current market-driven logic presents only harmful choices—both for human health and the environment—an alternative approach to pharmaceutical production is needed: Public Pharma. Only a publicly owned industry can break free from profit-driven priorities and focus solely on public health needs. This shift would address environmental challenges effectively and prevent future suffering by ensuring ecological limits are respected.
Public Pharma would also ensure equitable and sustainable access to essential health technologies by removing unnecessary commercial barriers like abusive pricing and supply shortages—both consequences of market-driven policies. The current system not only exacerbates suffering among those unable to afford basic health necessities but also prolongs global health crises, as seen in the unequal distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, which contributed to the emergence of new variants worldwide.
The devastating effects of a restrictive market-driven logic, both on public health and the environment, can be replaced with Public Pharma. This approach would break from Big Pharma’s colonial practices, prioritize health and equity over profit, and foster greater democratic participation in healthcare.
People’s Health Dispatch is a fortnightly bulletin published by the People’s Health Movement and Peoples Dispatch. For more articles and to subscribe to People’s Health Dispatch, click here.
Jan Wintgens is an environmental activist, bringing his PhD in Biotech and experience in quality control into the struggle for a good life for all.
