Lord O’Neill tells of global threat to public health
LORD Jim O’Neill, chair of the UK government’s Review of Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), has spoken of his hopes that China’s forthcoming G20 presidency will help step up efforts to combat AMR, one of the biggest global threats to public health.
Addressing the Bioinfect conference at Alderley Park, Cheshire, he told drug development companies, policy makers, and health experts from Manchester, Liverpool and across the North of England that China understands the economic havoc that AMR could wreak and that it could “kill their dream.”
“I’ve not been discouraged in my early conversations with China,” Lord O’Neill told delegates. “We want them to make it a priority of their G20 presidency next year. Since the economic crisis of 2008 the G20 has become the most important forum for developed economies.
“It’s the right place to bring focus on the issue – and can provide leadership for the developing world.”
His review team has already reported that AMR could be responsible for 10 million deaths per year by 2050 – more than presently die from cancer. It has also set the economic impact at least $100 trillion in sacrificed gross national product – higher than the current GDP of the entire world.
Lord O’Neill told the conference that some 30% of those deaths will come from “reversing 30 years of great advances in TB, HIV and malaria” as the world runs out of effective antibiotics to treat associated infections.
He added that Prime Minister David Cameron, who established the AMR review last summer, had given him “very strong, bold and challenging mandate” to tackle the issue.
“The UK has established a position as a global thought leader on AMR – a process started by Professor Dame Sally Davis, Chief Medical Officer,” he said.
He felt the USA needed to do more to address the issue, highlighting in particular the overuse of antibiotics in agriculture.
His review team has spent time in the US, China, India and Brazil – and is shortly going to South Africa as it seeks to build engagement and collaboration.
Geoff Davison, chief executive of North West industry group Bionow, said: “The review team think we need 10-12 new drugs over a 10-year period as part of package of measures to combat the problem. Jim O’Neill told delegates that means an R&D spend of between £16bn and £37bn on new antibiotics.”
Neil Murray, chief executive, of Redx Pharma, which has bases in Liverpool and Manchester, who also spoke at Bioinfect, said: “The O’Neill Review is doing important work and it’s our sincere hope that the power of its recommendations push policy makers to prioritise the issue.”
Ian Rowland, the Manchester-based head of innovation at business advisers Grant Thornton said: “The O’Neill Review has really thrown down the gauntlet as far as getting the drug development pipeline flowing again. The North West has a big role to play. Pharma itself has changed and innovation is no longer the solo preserve of global giants.”
The O’Neill review team has delivered three of six papers on AMR threat – and is due to make its final recommendations in early summer 2016. Key highlights so far include asking the global pharmaceutical industry to pay for a £1.3bn innovation fund to revitalise into antibiotic research.
In return, there would be guaranteed payments to companies which produced vitally needed new antibiotics.
