Category: News and press

Antibiotic resistance: The last resort

Health officials are watching in horror as bacteria become resistant to powerful carbapenem antibiotics — one of the last drugs on the shelf.

 

The National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) and the Swedish Research Council (SRC) sponsored a workshop in Beijing on May 15-17, 2013 to promote the exchange and collaboration between the Chinese and Swedish antibiotics resistance research communities. About 20 scientists from the two countries participated in this event that addressed antibiotics and their use on humans and animals as well as the environmental impacts of antibiotics. The Institute of Materia Medica, the Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology of CAMS/PUMS hosted and organized the workshop.

Keynote speeches addressed “the task forces against bacterial infection in China” (Professor Jiandong Jiang from the Institute of Materia Medica of CAMS/PUMC) and “the global challenge of antibiotics resistance” (Professor Mate Erdelyi from the Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Gothenburg). These talks were complemented by 16 shorter presentations by researchers from both countries.

The workshop discussions presented a large number of thoughts on antibiotics resistance policy. These included more rigorous antibiotic stewardship in Chinese hospitals and the need for evidence based interventions aiming to improve rational use of antibiotics targeting all levels of the healthcare system as well as the community and use in animals. Evaluation of interventions should take into account behavioural change theories. The socio-economic impact of antibiotic resistance was acknowledged, as well as the impact on the environment. In-depth studies on the mechanism for antimicrobial resistance are needed. Folk and traditional natural products from Traditional Chinese Medicine and medicinal herbs from Africa or India are valuable and largely untapped resources for antibiotics enhancer to reduce the occurrence of antimicrobial resistance.

https://www.jpiamr.eu/organisation/stakeholders-forum/

 

The current strategic research agenda (SRA) draft will be further developed according to the input and outcomes of the May 27-28 Geneva invitational conference. The resulting new draft will be made available to the public at this website no later than September 1, 2013. The research and stakeholder communities are most welcome to comment the SRA at this time.

The JPIAMR Invitational Conference to discuss the strategic research agenda (SRA) was held in Geneva on May 27 and 28. Members from the management board, scientific advisory board and stakeholder advisory board, as well as additional experts, met for group and plenary discussions.

The constructive discussions have provided the SRA writers with a wealth of additional input to incorporate into the next SRA draft. We would like to thank all meeting participants for a productive conference!

An invitational conference will be held in Geneva on May 27-28.The main discussion topic will be the latest draft of the strategic research agenda (SRA). All members of the management board, the scientific advisory board and the stakeholder advisory board are invited, along with some additional experts.

Stakeholder involvement will be crucial for the process of first developing and then implementing a strategic research agenda (SRA). A first stakeholder advisory board (SHAB) meeting was held at the Romanian Office for Science and Technology in Brussels on April 18 with representatives from Action on Antibiotic Resistance (ReACT), European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries Associations (EFPIA), Federation of European Microbiological Societies (FEMS), Federation of Veterinarians of Europe (FVE), Standing Committee of European Doctors, and WHO Europe. The primary discussion topic was the recent SRA draft. Members of the SHAB will also participate in the upcoming JPIAMR invitational conference in Geneva.

In the February issue of The Lancet Infectious Diseases Herman Goossens, chairman of JPIAMR’s scientific advisory board, comments on “The Chennai Declaration—a roadmap to tackle the challenges of antimicrobial resistance in India”.

See also:The Chennai Declaration (Indian Journal of Cancer)

The Innovative Medicins Initiative (IMI) launched its 8th call for proposals.Topics included under the IMI programme “Combating Antibiotic Resistance: New Drugs for Bad Bugs” are:

• Topic 1C: Innovative Trial Design & Clinical Development
• Topic 3: Discovery and development of new drugs combating Gram – negative infections

Dealine for submitting a proposal is 19 March 2013.

Link: IMI 8th call for proposals 

About the Innovative Medicins Initiative:

The Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI) is Europe’s largest public-private initiative aiming to speed up the development of better and safer medicines for patients. IMI supports collaborative research projects and builds networks of industrial and academic experts in order to boost pharmaceutical innovation in Europe. IMI is a joint undertaking between the European Union and the pharmaceutical industry association EFPIA.

The Swedish government allocates a total of SEK 265 million over four years for research on infection and antibiotics. The initiative was announced in the Research and Innovation bill of 2013, outlining the Swedish government’s research policy and funding for 2013-2016.

In the bill, the Swedish government further states that:

“To strengthen the international competitiveness of Swedish research, the Government has used the following starting points for the assessments made in the bill:
• freedom, long-term approach and greater opportunities for risk-taking;
• greater possibilities to achieve high quality;
• good conditions for researchers;
• initiatives for society and business; and
• increased utilisation of research-based knowledge.”

Link: Research and Innovation – A summary of Government Bill 2012/13:30