Leaders strategize global commitment to address antimicrobial resistance
(BOSTON: October 7, 2022) – Since CARB-X was founded in 2016, it has supported nearly 100 teams of product developers in twelve countries around the world. They have made tremendous progress developing prevention products (including vaccines), rapid diagnostics, antibiotics, and non-traditional treatments to address the global health threat of antimicrobial resistance. 11 treatment and prevention projects supported by CARB-X have begun or completed first-in-human studies, and two rapid diagnostics are now available in Europe.
CARB-X’s support to spur new products that prevent, diagnose, and treat bacterial infections is more important than ever. In 2019, an estimated 1.27 million people died due to antimicrobial-resistant bacterial infections. Data from the CDC indicate that the threat of antimicrobial-resistant infections has worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic. In May 2022, the G7 Health Ministers highlighted “the importance of accelerating the early and late-stage development of urgently needed new antimicrobial drugs, vaccines, alternative therapeutics and diagnostics,” and declared that they “value and support initiatives such as CARB-X.” In the same month, the U.S. government and Wellcome renewed their financial and in-kind support to CARB-X.
CARB-X is fully committed to addressing the global health threat of antimicrobial resistance. This week, its leaders convened at the ESCMID/ASM Conference on Drug Development to Meet the Challenge of Antimicrobial Resistance to lay the groundwork for CARB-X’s next decade, including plans to strengthen international collaboration and support, and to launch new funding rounds for product developers. These new funding rounds seek preventatives, diagnostics and therapeutics that address neonatal sepsis, gonorrhea, and the development of much-needed oral therapeutics for antimicrobial-resistant bacterial infections. The first deadline is October 31, 2022, and there are two additional opportunities to apply in 2023.
These initiatives are critical to strengthen the global pipeline of life-saving products for all patients, everywhere. As the COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated, bacteria know no borders. Infections that begin in one nation travel throughout the world. We are all in this together.
For details on CARB-X’s new funding rounds, visit CARB-X.org.
CARB-X is funded in part with federal funds from the Department of Health and Human Services; Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response; Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority; under Agreement number: 75A50122C00028. CARB-X is also funded by awards from Wellcome (WT224842), Germany’s Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The content of this press release is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of any CARB-X funders.
CARB-X Contact: Robin Berghaus, carbxpr@bu.edu
About CARB-X
CARB-X (Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria Biopharmaceutical Accelerator) is a global non-profit partnership dedicated to supporting early-stage antibacterial research and development to address the rising threat of drug-resistant bacteria. CARB-X supports innovative therapeutics, preventatives and rapid diagnostics. CARB-X is led by Boston University and funded by a consortium of governments and foundations. CARB-X funds only projects that target drug-resistant bacteria highlighted on the CDC’s Antibiotic Resistant Threats list, or the Priority Bacterial Pathogens list published by the WHO, with a priority on those pathogens deemed Serious or Urgent on the CDC list or Critical or High on the WHO list. https://carb-x.org/ | Twitter @CARB_X
About BARDA and NIAID
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services works to enhance and protect the health and well-being of all Americans, providing for effective health and human services and fostering advances in medicine, public health, and social services. ASPR leads HHS in preparing the nation to respond to and recovery from the adverse health effects of emergencies, supporting communities’ ability to withstand adversity, strengthening health and response systems, and enhancing national health security. Within ASPR, BARDA invests in innovation, advanced research and development, acquisition, and manufacturing of medical countermeasures – vaccines, drugs, therapeutics, diagnostic tools, and non-pharmaceutical products needed to combat health security threats. NIH is the primary U.S. federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. NIAID conducts and supports research — at NIH, throughout the United States, and worldwide — to study the causes of infectious and immune-mediated diseases, and to develop better means of preventing, diagnosing, and treating these illnesses.
About Wellcome
Wellcome supports science to solve the urgent health challenges facing everyone. We support discovery research into life, health and wellbeing, and we’re taking on three worldwide health challenges: mental health, infectious disease and climate and health.
About the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF)
Education and research are crucial foundations for our future. Thus, the promotion of education, science and research is a policy priority of the German Federal Government. The German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) strengthens education at all stages of life and provides support for scientific research and innovation.
About Boston University
Founded in 1839, Boston University is an internationally recognized institution of higher education and research. With more than 33,000 students, it is the fourth-largest independent university in the United States. BU consists of 17 schools and colleges, along with a number of multi-disciplinary centers and institutes integral to the University’s research and teaching mission. In 2012, BU joined the Association of American Universities (AAU), a consortium of 62 leading research universities in the United States and Canada. For further information, please contact Jeremy Thompson at jeremy22@bu.edu. www.bu.edu.