On 16 June, the Global Antibiotic Research and Development Partnership (GARDP) and the National Center for Global Health and Medicine (NCGM) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to work on building a clinical research network in Asia and worldwide.

As part of the MOU, GARDP and NCGM plan to collaborate in generating clinical data to support regulatory submission and public health evidence for treatments against drug-resistant infections in Japan, the Asian region and globally. GARDP and NCGM also plan to support regulatory submission and access provisions for treatments developed by GARDP.

The MOU also highlights the plan to conduct clinical and epidemiological surveillance to gather evidence on levels of drug-resistant infections in key populations, as well as conducting specific clinical investigations to support the appropriate use of antibiotics in patients.

“This collaboration with Japan’s NCGM will help us boost clinical research activities in Asia and across regions, which are urgently needed to develop new and improved treatments for drug-resistant infections,” said Manica Balasegaram, GARDP’s Executive Director.

NCGM is one of the world’s leading research institutes that operates research centers for international clinical studies related to controlling emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases, including COVID-19, HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, and Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs).

“We look forward to working on studies with GARDP to tackle infectious diseases such as neonatal sepsis, which is a leading cause of death among newborns, particularly in countries with weak health systems,” said Norihiro Kokudo, NCGM’s President.

Japan, which will hold the presidency of the G7 in 2023, is committed to helping GARDP achieve its goals, and it has made a one billion yen pledge to the organization from 2020 to 2025.

Read the press release in Japanese.

About GARDP 

The Global Antibiotic Research and Development Partnership is a Swiss not-for-profit organization developing new treatments for drug-resistant infections that pose the greatest threat to health. GARDP was created in 2016 by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) and legally founded in 2018 to ensure that everyone who needs antibiotics receives effective and affordable treatment, no matter where they live. It is developing new treatments to fight drug-resistant infections, with a focus on transmitted infections, sepsis in newborns and infections in hospitalized adults and children. GARDP is working with over 60 partners in more than 20 countries. Its work is funded by the governments of Australia, Germany, Japan, Luxembourg, Monaco, Netherlands, South Africa, Switzerland, United Kingdom, and the Canton of Geneva, as well as Médecins Sans Frontières and private foundations. GARDP is registered under the legal name GARDP Foundation. www.gardp.org

About NCGM

The National Center for Global Health and Medicine (NCGM) is one of the six National Centers for Advanced and Specialized Medical Care (National Centers). NCGM has its roots in the military hospital established in 1868. In 2015, NCGM became the National Research and Development Agency, one type of Independent Administrative Institution, and celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2018. NCGM consists of the Center Hospital, the Kohnodai Hospital, the Research Institute, the Center for Clinical Sciences, the Bureau of International Health Cooperation, the National College of Nursing, Japan and other organizations. NCGM undertakes research and advanced comprehensive medical services on infectious and immune diseases and metabolic diseases such as diabetes. NCGM also promotes international cooperation in healthcare and pursues the development of healthcare professionals. https://www.ncgm.go.jp/en/index.html