AMR pipeline at risk due to lack of funding
Early-stage antimicrobial compounds may never reach patients unless new incentives are put in place by government.
The warning comes from a new report released by the AMR Industry Alliance, which examines the breakthroughs and concerns surrounding developments towards combatting antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
The report, which takes into account responses from biotech, diagnostics, generic and large research-based pharmaceutical companies, is mixed.
Positive results come from a sustained investment in early R&D and diagnostics for AMR products such as antibiotics, antifungals and vaccines. More so, diagnostics companies are showcasing their importance with a promising biotech pre-clinical pipeline and new rapid infection detection tests.
The industry is also showing strides towards stemming antibiotic emissions to the environment. Poorly controlled discharges can increase the risk of AMR developing due to active residues surrounding pharmaceutical production sites. The AMR Industry Alliance reports how members are two years ahead of schedule in establishing an industry standard framework for reducing environmental risks from antibiotic production. More so, results from the report show that over 80% of participating companies’ antibiotics manufacturing facilities meet or partially meet the framework’s requirements.
Antimicrobial stewardship was another area in which improvements are being made. Members of the Alliance were shown to have taken a wide range of measures to promote the appropriate use of antibiotics and to slow the emergence of resistance.
However, despite these positives major steps are still needed if the threat of AMR is to be reduced.
The AMR Industry Alliance warns that low level of investment by the public and commercial sectors risks early-stage products and compounds never making it to market, and patients. New policy action is needed to help ensure compounds reach patients and the report states that companies would increase AMR investments if commercial models improve.
The report highlights how companies are wanting partners to pilot new reimbursement mechanisms and incentives that improve patient access and enable sustainable private investment in the development of new tools to tackle AMR.
While the threat of AMR is great, the report warns that already the world is suffering from a lack of access to antibiotics, particularly in low-and-middle income countries where major barriers to antibiotic access exist. The report mentions how 5.7 million people die due to treatable bacterial infections every year, meaning that a lack of access to antimicrobials kills close to 10 times more people than AMR itself.
Thomas Cueni, chair of the Alliance, declares: “Our report showcases the diverse range of activities that biotechnology, diagnostics, generics, and large research-based biopharmaceutical companies are undertaking to combat the spread of AMR”. He warns, however, that the findings are “a wake-up call as the reported investment of US $1.6bn in 2018 in AMR-relevant R&D is likely insufficient to sustain a viable pipeline. Discovering new and effective ways to leverage positive preclinical pipeline results and working together to ensure that late-stage antimicrobial drug discovery and development is better supported are vital”.
Noting the strides the Alliance is making on its manufacturing commitments as well as in securing better access to life-saving antibiotics for patients all over the world, Cueni says: “This demonstrates that working collectively can be a powerful platform for change”. He adds: “There are good reasons to be optimistic about the Alliance’s active and growing engagement with AMR”.