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New initiative to accelerate antimicrobial innovation
The initiative will select and invest in projects that address antimicrobial resistance (AMR), and then offer incentive and support for onward development and investment, moving them closer to clinical trials. Today, PACE has announced its first funding call, with up to £10M available to support those developing new antimicrobials.
What is antimicrobial resistance (AMR)?
AMR is one of the top ten global health threats, and it is estimated that by 2050, as many as 10 million people could die as a result of AMR every year.
Half of the antibiotics prescribed today were discovered in the 1950s, with only one new class discovered since the 1980s. As bugs that cause infections evolve, and become resistant to antimicrobial medicines, this means that medicines aren't as effective or no longer work as a treatment. This is known as antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
What does AMR mean for people with CF?
Though AMR is a threat to everyone, people with CF need access to effective medicines to treat lung infections, both for those able and unable to benefit from CFTR modulator medicines such as Kaftrio. New medicines to treat CF lung infections are urgently needed to overcome AMR.
The CF community identified better ways to diagnose CF infections and ways to reduce AMR as two of their top research priorities and PACE will help us address them.
How will the PACE initiative make a difference to people with CF?
PACE is a collaboration between three leaders in the UK's health innovation and research community, LifeArc, Medicines Discovery Catapult and Innovate UK. It will bring together the right funding, resources, and partnerships to help researchers in companies and universities to progress their early-stage antimicrobial drug and diagnostics projects with greater speed, support and confidence – giving the best AMR innovations the greatest chance of success.
We urgently need new and novel ways to treat infections that have become resistant to medicines. People with cystic fibrosis can be particularly susceptible to developing serious lung infections that are difficult to treat so we’re very excited that this new initiative – known as PACE – is set to make a significant difference in addressing this much needed area of research.
Dr Paula Sommer, Head of Research at Cystic Fibrosis Trust
Minister of State at the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, George Freeman MP said:
“The rise of antibiotic resistance – creating a new generation of pathogens that can resist antimicrobial drugs – is one of the biggest threats to modern medicine, and human health, today. It is a global health timebomb: an invisible pandemic with the potential to leave mankind exposed to a new generation of superbugs we cannot treat with antibiotics.
“A whole range of infections that are easily treatable today, claimed scores of lives before penicillin was isolated in the 1940s, and we risk falling back into that dark age unless we can stay one step ahead in the race against drug resistant microbes.
“That is why this £30 million research funding for this work such as this is vital: bringing the brightest minds from industry, academia and the third sector together to tackle one of the great medical challenges of our age. Our life scientists did it in COVID. Now we need to do it again with AMR.”
Stéphane Maikovsky, Interim CEO at LifeArc, said:
“Antimicrobial Resistance is a growing and serious problem for which we need to develop solutions urgently. Not only are millions of lives at risk, but with potential impacts on the cost of healthcare and people's ability to work, it could force even more people into poverty, with low- and middle- income countries most at risk.
“PACE is part of LifeArc's wider commitment to address challenges in global health. It will bring together the brightest and best in the UK life sciences sector to help tackle this rising threat to global health."
Professor Chris Molloy, CEO of Medicines Discovery Catapult, said:
"Medicines Discovery Catapult reshapes drug discovery for patient benefit. PACE is another great example of a Catapult in action. We bring R&D communities together in active, focused programmes that target high-risk areas of patient need. PACE enables us to surround AMR innovators with the best advice and resources and support them in this vital battle. With our partners and collaborators in PACE, we will build a new pipeline of precision therapeutics and rapid diagnostics that will save lives.”
PACE’s first funding call is now open!
PACE's first funding call is now open, with up to £10 million in grant funding initially available to support up to 12 projects focused on developing new treatments for the most threatening microbes and resistance mechanisms. AMR innovators worldwide are eligible to apply, with projects expected to last up to two years, with total funding of up to £1 million per project.
Expressions of interest are invited by 24 November, and an informational webinar will be held on 31 October for interested parties.
Living well with CF requires management of a complex, time consuming, and disruptive treatment regime for the person with CF and their families. Through our Involvement workstream we offer a way for companies to engage with the CF community, providing valuable insight into how they balance the many demands of the condition so that much-needed antimicrobial medicines being developed in isolation can best fit into the daily treatment regime of people with CF, and importantly still provide the best results.
Lorna Allen, Involvement Manager, Cystic Fibrosis Trust