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news.A new European consortium called Driving Reinvestment in research and development and Responsible Antibiotic Use (Drive AB) has been launched, to combat the rising global threat of antibiotic resistance.
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Funded by the EU Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI), the consortium aims to define a standard for the responsible use of dwindling reserves of effective antibiotics. The new consortium also seeks to develop, test and recommend new economic models for the pharmaceutical industry.
Drive AB project leader Stephan Harbarth from University of Geneva said: "The €9.4m public private consortium intends to develop a standard for the responsible use of dwindling reserves of effective antibiotics.
"The dual crisis of antibiotic resistance and the near empty antibiotic pipeline pose a real threat to human health. Only collaboration on this scale, involving stakeholders worldwide will be sufficient to address the crisis."
The consortium includes partners from 11 European nations, and includes academic institutions, research organisations, pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries.
Partners in this project include British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy, Center for Anti-Infective Agents, Heidelberg University, Cubist Pharmaceuticals, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) research and development, Roche, Pfizer and Sanofi-Aventis research and development.
In the next three years, the consortium partners will use their experience, expertise and capabilities to create and test new economic models for antibiotic research and development, and to expand investment in this area.
Additionally, the consortium will concentrate on maintaining the efficacy and preservation of existing and new drugs.