New consortium launched to tackle antibiotic resistance
A major new European initiative has been launched to tackle the growing global threat of antibiotic resistance.
The Innovative Medicines Initiative is funding the €9.4m ‘Driving Reinvestment in R&D and Responsible Antibiotic Use’ (DRIVE-AB) public private consortium, which aims to define a standard for the responsible use of the dwindling reserve of effective antibiotics.
The DRIVE-AB consortium comprises partners from 11 European countries from academic institutions, research organisations, pharmaceutical and biotechnology firms. The partners will combine their experience, expertise and capabilities to create and test new economic models for antibiotic R&D to reinvigorate investments in this vital area. Simultaneously, the consortium will examine how the efficacy of existing and new drugs can be maintained and preserved by defining the responsible and appropriate use.
Project leader Stephan Harbarth of the University of Geneva commented: “The dual crisis of antibiotic resistance and the near empty antibiotic pipeline poses a very real threat to human health. Only collaboration on this scale, involving stakeholders worldwide, will be sufficient to address the crisis. I am confident the worldwide renowned expertise, motivation and diversity of the DRIVE-AB partners are an appropriate match for the complexity and scope of the problem to be confronted.”
The project brings together experience and knowledge spanning all phases of antibiotic R&D, namely financing, clinical use, antibiotic stewardship, quantitative economic modelling and evaluation of public health policies.
