PD 12 - Bridging R&D and Sustainable Access to Antibiotics

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a major global health and development issue and a threat to achieving the SDGs. One of the challenges is to ensure that patients across the world can benefit from new and existing antibiotics that are developed, made accessible and used appropriately. Tackling this challenge requires a holistic approach involving many players.

Access and stewardship considerations have to be an integral part of the R&D process from the beginning. The starting point should be public health driven target product profiles taking into account public health and patient needs. A major challenge is how to ensure that new treatments are accessible, affordable and appropriately used on a global level. While huge progress has been made in the R&D process, the access challenge remains largely unsolved.

Earlier this year, the Global Antibiotic Research and Development Partnership (GARDP) in collaboration with the World Health organization (WHO) and the Medicines Patent Pool (MPP) organized a technical meeting on bridging R&D and sustainable access of antibiotics. The meeting sought to understand the roles and responsibilities of different players including developers, regulators, governments and civil society. Building on the outcomes of the technical meeting this high level panel will explore practical solutions to questions such as:

1. What does sustainable access mean, who is responsible for which elements?
2. What are the fundamental elements R&D needs to consider to ensure access?
3. To bridge R&D and access, what interventions are needed at global and national levels, and who pays for it?