How can Europe resist?

Antibiotics resistance has worked its way up the agenda for the EU. EPM spoke with Judith Hackett of AstraZeneca, who is a coordinator of Drive-AB, the new initiative which is devoted to dealing with the problem.

Judith told EPM: “Antibiotic resistance is widespread. Its global human and economic burden is tremendous and constantly increasing. The World Health Organization has identified antimicrobial resistance as one of the three greatest threats to human health. An estimated 25,000 people die each year in the European Union from infections that are resistant to multiple drugs.

“The annual societal costs are estimated at €1.5 billion, although the true economic and societal burden is unknown.  New forms of resistance continue to emerge and spread, incrementally reducing doctors’ ability to bring infections under control.”

Drive-AB has received €9.4 million from the EU Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI). It says its aim is to “define a standard for the responsible use of the dwindling reserve of effective antibiotics, and to develop, test and recommend new economic models for pharmaceutical industry investment in producing new ones.”

Judith added: “Despite the recognized and growing need for new antibiotics, today few pharmaceutical companies retain active antibacterial drug discovery programmes.  One reason is that it is scientifically challenging to discover new antibiotics that are active against the antibiotic resistant bacterial species of current clinical concern. 

“However, the chief challenge is diminishing economic incentives. Increased global calls to minimise use of antibiotics (to counter the selection and spread of resistant bacteria), the cost of meeting regulatory requirements and low prices of antibiotics compared to other therapy fields are strong deterrents to new drug development.”

The initiative has partners in 11 European countries from academic institutions, research organisations, and the pharma and biotech industries. Over the next three years, the partners will start to create and test new economic models for antibiotic R&D to reinvigorate investments. Simultaneously, the consortium will examine how the efficacy of existing and new drugs can be maintained and preserved by defining their responsible and appropriate use.

“New economic models that create incentives for the discovery of new antibiotics and yet reconcile these incentives with responsible antibiotic use are long overdue. Drive-AB is a €9.4 million public-private consortium, funded by the EU Innovative Medicines Initiative, that aims to define a standard for the responsible use of antibiotics, and to develop, test and recommend new economic models to incentivise investment in producing new ones”, said Judith.