Partnership aims to bring 2 to 4 new antibiotics to patients by the end of the decade and facilitate
needed long-term policy solutions
GENEVA-Thursday 9 July 2020 [ AETOS Wire ]
(BUSINESS
WIRE) -- Today, more than 20 leading biopharmaceutical companies
announced the launch of the AMR Action Fund [www.AMRactionfund.com], a
ground-breaking partnership that aims to bring 2-4 new antibiotics to
patients by 2030. These treatments are urgently needed to address the
rapid rise of antibiotic-resistant infections – also called
antimicrobial resistance, or AMR. The companies have raised so far
nearly US$1 billion new funding to support clinical research of
innovative new antibiotics that are addressing the most resistant
bacteria and life-threatening infections. Through the AMR Action Fund,
pharmaceutical companies will join forces with philanthropies,
development banks, and multilateral organizations to strengthen and
accelerate antibiotic development. The Fund will focus on urgent public
health needs. It will provide much needed financial resources, as well
as important technical support to help biotech companies bring novel
antibiotics to patients.
The
AMR Action Fund, an initiative of the international body representing
the R&D pharmaceutical industry (International Federation of
Pharmaceutical Manufacturers & Associations, IFPMA), was announced
at simultaneous virtual launch events in Berlin, Germany, and
Washington, D.C., USA, with a third event in Tokyo, Japan taking place
on July 10.
AMR
is a looming global crisis that has the potential to dwarf COVID-19 in
terms of deaths and economic costs. While tragically the death toll of
COVID-19 continues to rise, each year 700,000 people are dying from AMR.
In some of the most alarming scenarios, it is estimated that by 2050
AMR could claim as many as 10 million lives per year.
“Unlike
COVID-19, AMR is a predictable and preventable crisis. We must act
together to rebuild the pipeline and ensure that the most promising and
innovative antibiotics make it from the lab to patients,” said Thomas
Cueni, Director General of the IFPMA, one of the organizers of the new
fund. He adds: “The AMR Action Fund is one of the largest and most
ambitious collaborative initiatives ever undertaken by the
pharmaceutical industry to respond to a global public health threat.”
The
world urgently needs new antibiotics, but there are few in the pipeline
because of a paradox: despite the huge societal costs of AMR, there is
currently no viable market for new antibiotics. New antibiotics are used
sparingly to preserve effectiveness, so in recent years, a number of
antibiotic-focused biotechs have declared bankruptcy or exited this
space due to the lack of commercial sustainability, resulting in the
loss of valuable expertise and resources. The consequence is a huge
public health need for new antibiotics, but a lack of funding available
for antibiotic R&D, particularly the later stages of clinical
research. This creates a “valley of death” between discovery and patient
access.
“With
the AMR Action Fund, the pharmaceutical industry is investing nearly
US$1 billion to sustain an antibiotic pipeline that is on the verge of
collapse, a potentially devastating situation that could affect millions
of people around the world,” said David Ricks, Chairman and CEO of Eli
Lilly and Company and President of IFPMA. “The AMR Action Fund will
support innovative antibiotic candidates through the most challenging
later stages of drug development, ultimately providing governments time
to make the necessary policy reforms to enable a sustainable antibiotic
pipeline.”
While
the AMR Action Fund is an important step in addressing the challenge of
AMR, policymakers across the globe must enact market-based reforms,
including reimbursement reform and new pull incentives, to revitalize
the antibiotics market and drive sustainable investments in antibiotic
R&D. Until then, the biopharmaceutical industry is taking action now
to support the current pipeline of antibiotics.
With
this investment from leading biopharmaceutical companies, the AMR
Action Fund will be the largest collective venture ever created to
address AMR. The AMR Action Fund will:
Invest
in smaller biotech companies focused on developing innovative
antibacterial treatments that address the highest priority public health
needs, make a significant difference in clinical practice, and save
lives.
Provide
technical support to portfolio companies, giving them access to the
deep expertise and resources of large biopharmaceutical companies, to
strengthen antibiotic development, and support access and appropriate
use of antibiotics.
Bring
together a broad alliance of industry and non-industry stakeholders,
including philanthropies, development banks, and multilateral
organizations, and help encourage governments to create market
conditions that enable sustainable investment in the antibiotic
pipeline.
The
AMR Action Fund expects to invest more than US$1 billion with the
support of future partners into a portfolio of companies to address the
funding gap for the financing of antibiotic development. The Fund is
expected to be operational during the fourth quarter of 2020.
For more details on the AMR Action fund, visit www.AMRactionfund.com.
Messages of support for the AMR Action Fund
“AMR
is a slow tsunami that threatens to undo a century of medical progress.
I very much welcome this new engagement of the private sector in the
development of urgently-needed antibacterial treatments. WHO looks
forward to working with the AMR Action Fund to accelerate research to
address this public health crisis,” Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus,
Director General World Health Organization
“EIB
is actively supporting identified market failures with innovative
financial instruments, antimicrobial resistance is clearly one. We
welcome the opportunity to join forces with public and private actors,
such as the pharmaceutical industry, philanthropic funders, multilateral
development banks, and the World Health Organization to tackle this
threat. The initiative is aligned with the EIB’s core objectives in
health and we are proud to be part of the origination group of the new
AMR Action Fund.” Werner Hoyer, President, EIB (European Investment
Bank)
Biopharmaceutical companies and foundations supporting the AMR Action Fund
Almirall,
Amgen, Bayer, Boehringer Ingelheim, Chugai, Daiichi Sankyo, Eisai, Eli
Lilly and Company, GlaxoSmithKline, Johnson & Johnson, LEO Pharma,
Lundbeck, Menarini, Merck, MSD, Novartis, Novo Nordisk, Novo Nordisk
Foundation, Pfizer, Roche, Shionogi, Takeda, Teva, UCB
About AMR Action Fund
The
AMR Action Fund is an initiative from over 20 leading biopharmaceutical
companies that have pledged to invest nearly US$1 billion, with the aim
to bring 2-4 new antibiotics to market by 2030. The AMR Action Fund
will invest in small companies developing innovative antibacterial
treatments. It will forge partnerships with institutions and
philanthropic organizations, development banks, and multilateral
organizations to strengthen and accelerate antibiotic development. It
will also work with governments to ensure there is a sustainable
pipeline of new antibiotics to fight superbugs.
The
concept of the AMR Action Fund was developed by the IFPMA and the
Biopharmaceutical CEOs Roundtable (BCR), and biopharmaceutical companies
and foundation, in collaboration with the World Health Organization
(WHO), The European Investment Bank (EIB), and the Wellcome Trust.
Contacts
Abigail Jones, Communications Director, IFPMA
a.jones@ifpma.org
+32 475 41 09 76
Silas Holland, Interim Director of External Affairs, AMR Action Fund
silas.holland@amractionfund.com
+1 202 329 0936
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