New £30m initiative to address global threat of antimicrobial resistance
Altrincham’s Medical Discovery Catapapult is part of a group launching a £30m initiative today (October 19) in the fight against antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
AMR is one of the top 10 global health threats.
Bacteria and other microbes are evolving to become resistant to treatment, driven in large part by our overuse and misuse of antibiotics. There are not enough current drugs, or drugs in development, to stay ahead of these resistant infections.
By 2050, as many as 10 million people could die each year as a result of AMR, more than the population of London. The economic impact is also vast. The World Bank predicts that from 2015 to 2050, the cost of AMR will be $3.5bn per year on healthcare alone.
Medical Discovery Catapult, Innovate UK and LifeArc, have joined forces to create PACE (Pathways to Antimicrobial Clinical Efficacy), a £30m initiative supporting early stage innovation against AMR to save lives.
PACE has today announced its first funding call with up to £10m available to support innovators developing new antimicrobials.
As the UK’s largest public-private initiative targeting early stage antimicrobial drug and diagnostic discovery, PACE will select, invest in and support projects that address the world’s most threatening pathogens.
It will deliver innovations for onward development and investment, moving them closer to clinical trials. By tackling this problem collectively, with a pandemic-style focus, the early translational science community will be supported to deliver the breakthroughs needed.
PACE is a collaboration between three leaders in the UK’s health innovation and research community. It harnesses their unique expertise – catalysing and working with the global AMR community to accelerate the speed of innovation to mitigate the risk of AMR. PACE will bring together the right funding, resources, and partnerships to help innovators progress their early stage antimicrobial drug and diagnostics projects with greater speed, support and confidence – giving the best AMR innovations the greatest chance of success.
Prof Dame Sally Davies, UK Special Envoy on Antimicrobial Resistance, said: “I have always been clear that antimicrobial resistance is one the most severe global health threats that we face globally. I am delighted that through PACE, Medicines Discovery Catapult, Life Arc and Innovate UK will give our science community greater ability to break down the technical, financial and regulatory barriers that have prevented the breakthroughs that our modern medical systems rely on.”
Prof Chris Molloy, CEO of Medicines Discovery Catapult, said: “Medicines Discovery Catapult reshapes drug discovery for patient benefit. PACE is another great example of a Catapult in action.
“We bring R&D communities together in active, focused programmes that target high risk areas of patient need. PACE enables us to surround AMR innovators with the best advice and resources and support them in this vital battle. With our partners and collaborators in PACE, we will build a new pipeline of precision therapeutics and rapid diagnostics that will save lives.”
