Geneva (Switzerland), Liverpool (United Kingdom), 9 March 2023 – The Global Antibiotic Research and Development Partnership (GARDP) and the University of Liverpool have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to collaborate on new projects to address antimicrobial resistance (AMR) for the benefit of public health.

Since 2018, GARDP and the University of Liverpool have been working together to advance new treatment options for newborns with sepsis. Their research—published in leading peer-reviewed journals such as Archives of Disease in Childhood and the Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy—has laid the groundwork for GARDP’s upcoming global clinical trial on neonatal sepsis. The trial will rank the safety and effectiveness of new combinations of three existing antibiotics against commonly used regimens to treat babies with sepsis. New treatment options are needed to respond to growing drug resistance to the current WHO-recommended regimen, especially in many low- and middle-income countries.

“The University of Liverpool is a leader in infectious disease research and a key partner in GARDP’s work on children’s antibiotics,” said Seamus O’Brien, R&D Director at GARDP. “This agreement paves the way for more successful collaboration across our portfolio in years to come. We look forward to continuing to work together on solutions for all populations that are especially vulnerable to drug-resistant infections.”

Professor William Hope, Dame Sally Davies Chair of AMR Research at the University of Liverpool said, “The University of Liverpool has enjoyed a highly fruitful and effective collaboration with GARDP to advance a collective vision to minimise the impact of antimicrobial resistance on human health. Effectively addressing global challenges such as AMR can only be achieved with strong partnership and interdisciplinary problem-solving. We anticipate further successes and look forward to this very much.”

Alongside their joint research, GARDP and the University of Liverpool have joined forces to share their expertise with the wider community of researchers who work on AMR. Academics from the University of Liverpool have presented their work in webinars hosted by GARDP’s online platform REVIVE, as well as at the online Antimicrobial Chemotherapy Conference co-hosted by GARDP.

About GARDP 

The Global Antibiotic Research and Development Partnership (GARDP) 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 aims to develop new treatments to fight drug-resistant infections, with a focus on sexually transmitted infections, sepsis in newborns and infections in hospitalized adults and children. GARDP is funded by the governments of Australia, Germany, Japan, Luxembourg, Monaco, Netherlands, South Africa, Switzerland, United Kingdom, 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 the University of Liverpool’s infectious diseases research 

With over a century of discovery and translational research in infectious diseases, the University of Liverpool is a recognised leader in this field. Our work covers global health problems, as well as national and local issues. Our interdisciplinary approach brings together the fields of medical and veterinary science.

We house a breadth of clinical expertise in infectious diseases, capability in translational science, and facilities for preclinical work and clinical trials. Combatting and preventing antimicrobial resistance is a core theme across our work. We are experts in developing and delivering vaccines, with millions of lives saved through our programmes.

The scope of our infection pharmacology expertise is distinct, covering formulation, improved dosing, repurposing drugs, pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic modelling, drug interactions, toxicology, as well as designing novel drug delivery mechanisms. https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/research/research-themes/infectious-diseases

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