NHS launches plans to expand drug contracts to develop new life-saving antibiotics
11 Jul 2023
Preview
Source: PMLiVE
NHS England is building on its world-first pilot by launching plans to expand pioneering subscription-style drug contracts to develop new life-saving antibiotics in an effort to tackle life-threatening infections.
Recent data shows that the number of people contracting drug-resistant superbugs is rising. If no action is taken, by 2050, antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is predicted to cause ten million deaths globally each year.
Seeking input from the pharmaceutical industry, patients, carers and academics, the 12-week public consultation proposals will prioritise products that are active against pathogens on the WHO Priority List, which outlines the 12 families of bacteria that pose the greatest threat to human health.
Incentivising the pharmaceutical industry to develop new antibiotics could reduce patient deaths each year while also ensuring future pandemic preparedness.
NHS assistant director for medicines analysis, David Glover, commented: "As we continue to take lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic, the development of new antibiotics is absolutely essential to help build resilience to respond rapidly to new superbugs and save lives."
The NHS is removing any incentive to overuse antibiotics by breaking the link between the payments that companies receive and the number of antibiotics prescribed. This will decrease the risk of life-threatening infections, including sepsis and pneumonia, becoming resistant to treatment.
Under the proposals, if outstanding clinical-based criteria are met, annual payments for antibiotic contracts could rise from £10m to £20m, representing exceptional value to patients and taxpayers.
Using a newly designed, clinically-led scoring system, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) will determine the value of antimicrobial treatments submitted to the programme.
Programme director of scientific affairs at NICE, Nick Crabb, said: "We are now moving to the next stage, embedding routine arrangements for the evaluation and reimbursement of new antimicrobials within the NHS, across all nations of the UK."
“But the UK can’t face this growing challenge on its own, so we will continue to share our learning with international stakeholders and encouraging other countries to offer similar incentives in their own domestic markets, so that collectively we can achieve a meaningful incentive for global investment in antimicrobials.”
In July 2022, contracts for two superbug-busting drugs were rolled out as part of a world-first pilot. The new antibiotics, Shionogi’s Cefiderocol and Pfizer’s ceftazidime-avibactam, were awarded world-first subscription contracts, providing the drug-makers with fixed annual fees based primarily on the availability of the drugs and their value to the NHS, as opposed to their frequency of use.
Richard Torbett, chief executive at the ABPI said: "AMR is a global issue that requires urgent attention, and the UK is leading this fight by developing a pragmatic new approach to help secure the antibiotics the world needs. Demonstrating and delivering a successful UK contribution to this global challenge is critical to encourage other healthcare systems to develop the complementary solutions necessary to find a lasting solution to this challenge."
The commitment to tackle AMR is shared across governments, international agencies, researchers and the pharmaceutical industry, as well as the NHS, recognising the urgent action needed to ensure future pandemic preparedness.
For more details,please visit the original website
The content of the article does not represent any opinions of Synapse and its affiliated companies. If there is any copyright infringement or error, please contact us, and we will deal with it within 24 hours.
Indications
Targets
-Hot reports
Get started for free today!
Accelerate Strategic R&D decision making with Synapse, PatSnap’s AI-powered Connected Innovation Intelligence Platform Built for Life Sciences Professionals.
Start your data trial now!
Synapse data is also accessible to external entities via APIs or data packages. Leverages most recent intelligence information, enabling fullest potential.