05 Feb 2015 – Global Innovation Fund recommended to be set up to support new ideas to combat antimicrobial resistance

Following on from the report produced in December 2014 by the Review on Antimicrobial Resistance, set up by the UK Prime Minister David Cameron, where it was estimated that drug-resistant infections will cost the world 10 million extra deaths a year and up to $100 trillion by 2050, the Review on Antimicrobial Resistance has today issued it’s latest report where it recommends that a global antimicrobial resistance innovation fund should be set up to drive investment in R&D focused on a new generation of drugs to tackle the issue of antimicrobial resistance. Jim O’Neill, Chairman of the Review on Antimicrobial Resistance, said: “I am calling on international funders, philanthropic or governmental, to allocate money to a fund that can support blue sky science and incubate ideas that are more mature. Antibiotics research is the poor relation to studying chronic diseases of the developed world but, without antibiotics, treating those diseases can be compromised too. New drugs take 10 to 15 years to come onto market, so the time for action is now“. The Review on Antimicrobial Resistance team will publish their next report in the spring of 2015, which will focus on incentives to create a compelling commercial rationale for developing new drugs to tackle antimicrobial resistance. Changes that governments, health provides and health regulators will need to bring about to achieve this aim will be identified. Dr Bill Love, CEO of Destiny Pharma said: “I welcome the Review on Antimicrobial Resistance’s latest report and their identification for the need to set up an innovation fund and look forward to their recommendations on how the commercial landscape can be improved to incentivise further investment to combat antimicrobial resistance“.