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Incentivising the development of new antibacterial treatments: Progress report by the Global AMR R&D Hub and WHO 2023
In 2021 and 2022, G7 Finance and Health Ministers committed to expedite implementation of existing antimicrobial resistance (AMR) strategies, to take additional steps to address antibiotic market failure, create economic conditions to preserve the effectiveness of essential existing antibiotics and ensure their access, strengthen AMR research and development (R&D), and bring novel antibacterials to market that address public health needs. An initial progress report was prepared by the Global AMR R&D Hub and WHO for the G7 Finance and Health Ministers in May 2022, with a progress update requested for 2023.
The present report is a response to this request providing an update on the financial landscape for developing new and innovative antibacterials, country-by-country progress on commitments and key areas for action in the next two years.
Access the joint Global AMR R&D Hub & WHO report here: Full report & two-page summary
The report was submitted to the G7 Finance and Health Ministers ahead of their meetings in Japan in May for their deliberation and consideration. We applaud the ongoing and continued actions across the G7 to mitigate AMR and look forward to contributing further to the dialogue to strengthen global efforts to incentivize the development of new antibacterial treatments.
AMR is a truly global problem, requiring a multifaceted, coordinated and collaborative approach across countries, including target setting and agreement on burden sharing for the development of new antibacterials (and other technologies addressing AMR, such as diagnostics and vaccines) and ensuring equitable access. The G7 can build on past and ongoing achievements to collaborate and unify in action against the devastating impacts of AMR and ensure a robust and sustainable supply of antibacterials and other health technologies addressing AMR.
Key recommendations from the joint Global AMR R&D Hub & WHO progress report:
Building on the progress across the G7 over the last year, the following next steps for priority actions for Finance and Health Ministers are recommended with an outlook to deliver concrete action over the next two years:
1. Renew Priorities and Timelines
• Further recognize and commit to tackle AMR within international political discussions and accords on pandemic preparedness and response.
• Work towards tangible and specific commitments and targets for G7 action on incentivizing the development of and equitable access to new antibacterials for agreement in the next two years, including contributing towards specific commitments and targets at the high-level meeting on AMR at the United Nations General Assembly in 2024.
2. Encourage Alignment and Targeted Action on Financing Mechanisms, including Push and Pull Incentives
• Strengthen the AMR R&D ecosystem across the development pipeline through sustainable and predictable financing and resources to address the antibiotic R&D and access crisis, including commitment to further financing of public-private partnerships such as CARB-X and GARDP.
• Build on country-level experience gained through implementation and evaluation of pull incentive pilot approaches and explore the possibility of formulating international collaborative mechanisms on pull incentives for antibacterial R&D, as appropriate.
• Call on the Global AMR R&D Hub to establish a clear process for sharing information and evaluation of pull incentive models across countries, and to share recommendations with the G7 on coordination opportunities in 2024.
• Ensure pull mechanisms are designed to stimulate R&D and reward innovation, and provide appropriate global and equitable access, including for low- and middle-income countries that experience the highest burden of resistance.
3. Prioritize Equity and Global Access to Priority Antibacterials
• Strengthen and build on commitments from G7 countries to support initiatives to ensure and improve global and equitable access to new and existing antibiotics, such as SECURE.
• Bolster equitable and global access to antibiotics addressing the most urgent public health needs, and other essential health products for AMR, including diagnostics and vaccines, e.g., through better integration of AMR into international development co-operation initiatives and inclusion of access provisions in relevant push funding agreements.
Download final report here.
Download two page summary here.
For more information:
Email: globalamrhub@dzif.de
