BASEL, Switzerland, Sept. 24, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — BioVersys AG, a multi-asset, clinical stage biopharmaceutical company focusing on research and development of novel antibacterial products for serious life-threatening infections caused by multi-drug resistant (“MDR”) bacteria, in collaboration with its partners in the AMR Accelerator programme, call for sustainable investment in antimicrobial research and development.
Antibiotic resistance is a threat to modern healthcare. Nine European research projects have published in Nature Reviews Drug Discovery an article emphasizing the need to maintain expertise and capability for developing new treatments for infectious diseases, such as those exemplified in the successful European Union’s IMI2 funded TRIC-TB programme.
TRIC-TB, successfully reached key milestones, delivering a Phase 2-ready tuberculosis clinical candidate, alpibectir, that is being jointly developed by BioVersys and GSK. The funding that BioVersys as the product developer received, enabled the translation of this exciting new TB therapy into Phase 2a in patients in South Africa. This program now seeks funding to address deadly TB meningitis infections, which predominantly and severely affect children.
Together, the nine projects of the AMR Accelerator call on government leaders, the private sector and other stakeholders to invest in the development of new antibiotics and research on antimicrobial resistance (AMR), to secure a sustainable future for large-scale efforts.
Dr. Marc Gitzinger, Chief Executive Officer and founder of BioVersys: “The continued innovation for developing new antibiotics fighting AMR is crucial for modern medicine, in high- and low-income countries. There is simply no way around appropriate funding and market incentives for new antibiotics. Efforts led by the European Union, such as the IMI2 programme should continue and be expanded. However, even more important is to act on adequate reimbursement mechanisms for antibiotics, which are life-saving medicines. We hope that successful projects like TRIC-TB demonstrate the success that adequate funding can deliver.”
Dr. David Barros-Aguirre, VP and Head of Global Health Medicines R&D Unit, Global Health R&D, GSK: “Now more than ever, there is a need for sustainable funding mechanisms to combat antimicrobial resistance (AMR), which disproportionately impacts people living in lower income countries. We have witnessed the positive impact of pooled procurement mechanisms in supporting equitable access to new vaccines, building resilience into supply chains and contributing to the development of healthy markets. Yet, these mechanisms do not currently exist for many AMR innovative treatment opportunities.”
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