The world needs innovative antiviral drugs—but market incentives won’t align until it’s too late, Germany’s ‘head of challenges’ warns

(Credit: Courtesy of SPRIND)

As we emerge from the shadow of COVID-19, it's clear that our global health security remains fragile. As the mpox outbreak continues to spread, the rise of a virus with various strains and modes of transmission has exposed the stark threat that epidemics and pandemics still pose, with antivirals yet to be developed and approved. We can't afford to be complacent—the next global health crisis is not a matter of if, but when.

Consider this: Experts project that future respiratory disease epidemics could claim an average of 2.5 million lives globally each year. Even more alarmingly, we could face a pandemic on the scale of COVID-19 or worse every 33 to 50 years, with devastating human and economic impacts.