Ahead of World Antimicrobial Awareness Week (18-24 November), 20 national and international organizations from academia, healthcare, global health and the pharmaceutical industry appealed today to G7 governments to step up efforts to tackle the growing problem of antibiotic resistance. Their Joint Statement on Strengthening the Antibiotic R&D Pipeline by Rewarding Innovation stresses that only an approach involving both the public and private sectors is likely to succeed.

To ensure a sustainable market for antibiotics, the signatories are calling for:

1. More research incentives to develop new anti-bacterial drugs;
2. Accelerated access to new antibiotics against drug-resistant infections;
3. Vaccines to reduce the risk of bacterial infections; and
4. Appropriate use of existing antibiotics.

In 2022, during its G7 presidency, Germany will have the opportunity to work toward progress and ensure that solutions continue to be worked on during the subsequent Japanese presidency in 2023.

Strengthening the response to antibiotic resistance

Because the problem is multifaceted, the signatories of the joint statement see the need for different measures, some adapted to the health systems of individual countries.

In order to strengthen research and development, incentives are needed that provide economic rewards for successfully developed antibiotics against drug-resistant infections – in addition to the funding support for individual stages of the research and development process prior to approval of antibiotics.

Signatories

The Joint Statement was signed by: AMR Action Fund, AMR Alliance, BAG Selbsthilfe, Bundesverband der Arzneimittelhersteller (BAH), BEAM Alliance, Bundesverband der Deutschen Industrie (BDI), Bundesverband der Pharmazeutischen Industrie (BPI), Deutsche Gesellschaft für Hämatologie und Medizinische Onkologie (DGHO), Deutsche Gesellschaft für Infektiologie (dgi), German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Global Antibiotic Research & Development Partnership (GARDP), German Health Alliance, Global AMR R&D Hub, Helmholtz Association of German Research Centers, International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers & Associations (IFPMA), Paul Ehrlich Gesellschaft für Chemotherapie (PEG), Prof. Dr. Detlev Ganten, Sepsis Stiftung, German Association of Research-Based Pharmaceutical Companies (vfa), World Health Summit.