A Chinese study led by scientists at Zhejiang University in Hangzhou City has identified a linker of resistance from the mobile colistin resistance gene 3, which might represent a promising drug target against which to develop small-molecule inhibitors to reverse colistin resistance.
An international whole genome sequencing study has shown that diphtheria, an easily preventable but highly contagious potentially fatal upper respiratory tract infection by Corynebacterium diphtheriae, is evolving antimicrobial resistance, which could lead to the loss of protection that has evolved with changes in the diphtheria toxin.
In July a major initiative of the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations, designed to combat the rising tide of antimicrobial resistance and accelerate the pace at which new antibiotics are discovered and brought to market, was announced. The $1 billion AMR Action Fund, supported by 23 pharma companies, was created “because there was a clear realization that we have no time to spare to address the lack of innovation in this area,” said Martin Bott, interim general manager of the fund, who described the progress being made with the fund in a fireside chat at this week’s virtual BIO Investor Forum.
LONDON – Twenty-three pharma companies are joining forces in the AMR Action Fund and have raised $1 billion in new money for the clinical development of antibiotic drugs.
LONDON – Twenty-three pharma companies are joining forces in the AMR Action Fund and have raised $1 billion in new money for the clinical development of antibiotic drugs addressing the most resistant bacteria. Working with philanthropic backers, the fund aims to bring two to four new antibiotics through to approval by 2030.
LONDON – After eight years in development, Memed Diagnostics Ltd. has secured CE marking for its point-of-care blood test, which is able to distinguish between bacterial and viral infections in 15 minutes.
LONDON – Novo Repair has made new investments of $12 million, bringing the total invested by the specialist anti-infectives venture capital fund since it was set up two years ago to plug the gap in the early stage pipeline to $48 million.
Health care-associated infections (HAI) pose a constant challenge for hospitals and health systems, resulting in increased morbidity and mortality and billions in costs each year. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 1 in 31 patients has at least one HAI at any given time. In 2016, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services set a 2020 goal of reducing HAIs by 50% below a 2015 baseline. To that end, Biotia Inc. plans to launch an artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled test to detect harmful bugs and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) early in the new year.
LONDON – There is an urgent need for changes to the health technology assessment (HTA) of new antibiotics, to incentivize investment and limit the development of antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
