Report of the British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy Initiative The Urgent Need: regenerating antibacterial drug discovery development
Source material Page 36 Working Party Membership Page 39
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Report of the British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy Initiative The Urgent Need: regenerating antibacterial drug discovery development
“Antibiotic resistance – one of the three greatest threats to human health”, World Health Organisation, 2009
INTRODUCTION The British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy is gravely concerned that the relentless rise in antibiotic
resistance, occurring at a time when pharmaceutical companies are disinvesting in the discovery and
development of antibacterial agents, will have severe and harmful effects on global health and our ability to
treat infections in hospitals and the community. The antibiotic pipeline is almost empty, yet the need for new
antibiotics to treat the increasing number of drug resistant infections continues to rise.
The models by which antibacterial agents are discovered and subsequently brought to market no longer
appear to be as effective as they once were. The magnitude of the problem faced is aptly demonstrated by
the IDSA 2004 Report Bad Bugs, No Drugs, which reports on sixteen new antibacterial agents being approved
and brought to market between 1983-1987, compared with the estimate that between only two and four new
antibacterial agents will reach market between 2008-2012. It is by no means clear if even these will address
the current clinical issues.
The Urgent Need initiative was established in response to these concerns, to identify barriers discouraging
participation in antibacterial drug discovery research, and to consider what opportunities exist to re-stimulate interest in the field, possibly through public / private partnership initiatives.
Our initiative is not unique, but it is an important part of a growing international movement that recognizes
the need for, and demands, action before the global medical community is faced with the unthinkable – a
post-antibiotic era where the treatment of infections, from the common to complex is no longer possible.
Looking at the three major components required to bring antibacterial agents to market – research, regulation
and economics – this report records the discussions held at three expert evidence sessions. It does not seek
simply to reiterate problems that have been rehearsed, recorded and reported so many times before, but to
identify practical solutions that can be developed, applied and implemented, using existing systems for
research, regulation and pricing,
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