As a leading company in the infectious disease field, SHIONOGI has been pursuing the discovery and development of new drugs for diseases such as HIV, influenza, AMR, and COVID-19. In my presentation, I‘m going to share our activities in the infectious disease area, as well as what we have learned from the COVID-19 pandemic about preparedness and the ideal partnership between the public and private sectors required to protect society from arising dangers. First, I would like to talk about SHIONOGI‘s R&D activities and contributions to healthcare in the infectious disease field, an area that many pharmaceutical companies have withdrawn from. In addition, by sharing the difficulties we faced in the development of a COVID-19 drug, I would like to discuss the importance of preparedness for pandemic threats even during normal times, including steps that have been taken in this direction in Japan, such as the establishment of SCARDA and the creation of an emergency approval system. From here forward, it is expected that Japanese industry, government, and academia will work more closely together to respond to emergencies, with their efforts facilitated by new systems that have been and will be created. In order to meet this expectation, it is required that all sectors share a common perspective regarding the need to improve such capabilities and thereby to prepare effectively. I hope that my presentation can be of some help in achieving the necessary alignment.