Category: News and press

On 2^nd June 2015 in Brussels, JPIAMR took part in the meeting ‘Societal Stakeholders in Joint Programming’ organised by the Joint Programming Initiative on More Years, Better Lives. The meeting discussed different ways of engaging stakeholders in the different societal challenges tackled by Joint Programming. Engaging stakeholders is crucial to make Joint Programming a success. Each JPI is organised slightly different, but stakeholder engagement to form a collaborative platform is at the core of each JPI. 

 

On 19 May 2015, MEPs adopted a resolution to tackle the increase of drug-resistant diseases. The recommendations, written by Italian MEP Piernicola Pedicini (EFDD), welcomed the Joint Programming Initiative on Antimicrobial Resistance (JPIAMR). The AMR initiative allows Member States to agree on research needs to avoid duplication, and calls for increased alignment of research funding to combat antimicrobial resistance.

“25,000 citizens die every year in Europe owing to the growing resistance to existing antimicrobials, so we must stimulate research into new types of substances. In the veterinary sector, online sales of antimicrobials and their prophylactic use should be prevented”, said Pedicini further emphasizing the need for the JPI to align research efforts in a holistic manner.

“We are very pleased that JPIAMR’s work is recognised at a political level and that research has been highlighted as crucial in the combat against AMR,” said Mats Ulfendahl, Chair of JPIAMR’s Management Board. “Innovative collaborative research into understanding all areas of resistance is the only way to ensure sustainable solutions,” he continued.

Human antibiotics: diagnose before prescribing

The measures proposed to ensure that antibiotics are used more responsibly include:

• strictly prohibiting their use without prescription,
  • requiring a microbiological diagnosis before prescribing antibiotics,
  • implementing marketing practices designed to prevent conflicts of interest between producers and prescribers, and
  • improving information on the monitoring of antimicrobial consumption and antimicrobial resistance and infection control.

MEPs also urge pharmaceutical companies to invest in developing new antimicrobial agents, and ask the European Commission to consider proposing a “legislative framework” to encourage the development of new antibiotic drugs.

Veterinary antibiotics: restrict preventive use

MEPs also advocate responsible use of antimicrobials in veterinary medicine, including medicated feed, by allowing their use only for treatment after veterinary diagnosis.

The use of veterinary antibiotics should therefore gradually be restricted to therapeutic purposes, by progressively eliminating their use for prophylactic ones. The use of metaphylaxis, i.e. the mass medication of animals to cure sick ones on farms whilst preventing the infection of healthy ones, should also be kept to a minimum, say MEPs.

The resolution was adopted with 637 votes for, 32 against and 10 abstentions.

More information:

• Parliament press release ‘MEPs propose blueprint for safer healthcare’
• European Parliament resolution of 19 May 2015 on safer healthcare in Europe

 

The first assessment window to win the Longitude Prize closed on 31 May 2015 and the judging panel will now begin assessing the first round of entries. The Longitude Prize is a £10m prize fund that will reward a competitor that can develop a  point–of–care diagnostic test that will conserve antibiotics for future generations and revolutionise the delivery of global healthcare. The test must be accurate, rapid, affordable, easy–to–use and available to anyone, anywhere in the world. It will identify when antibiotics are needed and, if they are, which ones to use.

The judging panel will decide which among the submitted diagnostic prototypes will go on for further testing. If an entry passes the testing phase, it will then go to the Longitude Committee, which will decide whether you are the winner of this historic prize.

The Longitude Prize opens a second round of submissions in four months time. If you have a diagnostics prototype for detecting infectious disease and would like to apply in the next round, find more information here

On 2-3 June 2015, JPIAMR’s Laura Marin, Bertrand Schwartz and Ghada Zoubiane will be at the Uppsala Health Summit to discuss ‘A world without antibiotics’. The summit calls for a concerted effort to tackle the antibiotic crisis.

‘Antibiotic Resistance is a complex problem driven by many interconnected factors. As such, single, isolated interventions have little impact. Coordinated action is required to minimize emergence and spread.’ 

JPIAMR fully endorses this sentiment and through our work, we are coordinating international research actions to find new ways of reducing antimicrobial resistance and developing new treatments for infectious diseases. We provide a platform where innovative collaborative activities can be developed which covers all areas of the problem from surveillance via diagnostics all the way to changing behaviour.

With this in mind, JPIAMR has special interest in the workshop ‘Environmental Dimensions of Antibiotic Resistance’. Taking a holistic approach where all aspects of the causes of antimicrobial resistances are taken into account is the only way to turn the tide. During the workshop, JPIAMR will join discussions on environmental risk management of emissions of antibiotics from pharmaceutical manufacturing, of emissions of human sewage/municipal wastewater and of emissions from agricultural sources.

Come and speak to Laura, Bertrand or Ghada at the Uppsala Health Summit to find out more about the Joint Programming Initiative on Antimicrobial Resistance. We offer opportunities for new members and collaborators to take part in an international platform and connect with world-wide experts in the AMR field.  We also offer funding opportunities for researchers.

Ministers of Health and health leaders from the WHO regions gathered at the World Health Assembly on 19 May in Geneva to sign a ‘Call to Action’ on antimicrobial resistance. By forming an ‘Alliance of Champions’, 14 countries signed up to promote political awareness, engagement and leadership on antimicrobial resistance among Heads of State, ministers and global leaders.

“The increase in awareness and discussion on antimicrobial resistance in recent times demonstrate that the world is waking up to the severity of this global problem. We must work together to combat AMR. JPIAMR, with its national research funding organisation members welcome this ‘Call to Action’ as greater world wide activity will also highlight the importance of innovative research to solve the problem of AMR,” said Mats Ulfendahl, Chair of JPIAMR’s Management Board.

JPIAMR works to align international research resources and to mobilise multi-national initiatives to come up with innovative approaches to combat AMR.

For information in English click here

For information in Swedish click here

Call to action  on May 19 2015

 

 

 

On 12 May 2015 at the Latvian Presidency event on Infectious Diseases in Riga, participants debated the efforts on infectious diseases and AMR research in the Baltic area. JPIAMR’s Laura Marin from the International Secretariat and Ioana Ispas, JPIAMR’s Romanian Management Board representative talked in the session ‘European context of research and how to enhance collaboration between Western, Central and Eastern European research’.

 

On 29 April 2015, the World Health Organisation (WHO) reported that a quarter of countries that responded to a survey have national plans to preserve antimicrobial medicines like antibiotics, but many more countries must also step up to prevent the misuse of antibiotics and reduce spread of antimicrobial resistance.

The WHO survey—which was completed by 133 countries in 2013 and 2014—is the first to capture governments’ own assessments of their response to resistance to antimicrobial medicines used to treat conditions such as bloodstream infections, pneumonia, tuberculosis (TB), malaria and HIV. It summarizes current practices and structures aimed to address the issue, and shows there are significant areas for improvement.

Key findings of the report include:

·      Few countries (34 out of 133 participating in the survey) have a comprehensive national plan to fight resistance to     antibiotics and other antimicrobial medicines.

·      Monitoring is key for controlling antibiotic resistance, but it is infrequent. In many countries, poor laboratory capacity, infrastructure and data management are preventing effective surveillance, which can reveal patterns of resistance and identify trends and outbreaks.

·      Sales of antibiotics and other antimicrobial medicines without prescription remain widespread, with many countries lacking standard treatment guidelines, increasing the potential for overuse of antimicrobial medicines by the public and medical professionals.

·      Public awareness of the issue is low in all regions, with many people still believing that antibiotics are effective against viral infections.

·      Lack of programmes to prevent and control hospital-acquired infections remains a major problem.
Find out more about WHO’s survey and report here

A lot of diagnostic equipment has been developed but not much of it actually makes it to the market. On 11 May 2015 in London, the Medical Research Council UK on behalf of JPIAMR, is hosting the workshop ‘Identifying the Pathway to Diagnostic Development’ to look at the route from bench to market of diagnostic development. The aim is to develop a step-by-step process, a sort of guideline, for how this process can be achieved. With both the European Commission and President Obama awarding prizes in the millions for developing diagnostic equipment, which can detect antibiotic resistance, this topic is high on the agenda. The money is there, but the route for making it happen is not clear. Researchers from a wide range of disciplines, health care providers and professionals, industry, national and international policy makers and legislators have been invited to define and agree on a best practice process.  

Delegates information booklet

On April 13 2015, Cathy McLeod, Canadian Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health announced that Canada is taking part in six projects , which were made possible as part of the Joint Programming Initiative on Antimicrobial Resistance. This research will help ensure Canadian doctors have the tools they need to treat bacterial infections now and in the future.“Innovation is one of the key components of our Government’s framework for addressing the global health issue of antimicrobial resistance. Today’s announcement shows how Canadian researchers are contributing at the international level. Their work will benefit Canadians and people around the world,” said Cathy McLeod, Canadian M.P. Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health.The Government of Canada is investing $4 million to support researchers at the University of British Columbia, McMaster University and Université Laval. These Canadian researchers will work with international partners on the six projects , that focus on identifying new targets for antimicrobial drug development, new approaches to treating drug-resistant bacterial infections, and methods for preserving the effectiveness of existing antibiotics.For example, Dr. Natalie Strynadka, a researcher at UBC and the Canada Research Chair in Antibiotic Discovery and Medicine, will contribute to two projects, including one that aims to find new molecules to prevent the inactivation of beta-lactam antibiotics such as penicillin.Together with this statement, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) issued a fact sheet, which can be downloaded here 

Quick Facts 

• Antimicrobial resistance develops when bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites change so that the medicines, such as antibiotics, used to treat these germs become less effective and sometimes do not work at all. While antimicrobial resistance can happen naturally, a major contributor is the overuse and misuse of antibiotics and other antimicrobial medicines.
• The Government of Canada released its Antimicrobial Resistance and Use in Canada: A Federal Framework for Action on October 24, 2014.
• The Federal Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance and Use, released on March 31, 2015, builds on the Framework by identifying concrete steps that will be undertaken by the Government of Canada in the areas of stewardship, surveillance, and innovation.
• The Government of Canada is a major supporter of research related to antimicrobial resistance, investing more than $143 million through CIHR since 2006.
• Through CIHR, Canada is a member of the international Joint Programming Initiative on Antimicrobial Resistance. CIHR is investing $4 million to support six projects involving Canadian researchers under this initiative.

  

The Swedish publication ‘Dagens Medicin’ has today, 1 April 2015, published an article by Mats Ulfendahl, JPIAMR’s Chair of the Management Board. The article is written in response to the discussion around a new Swedish AMR strategy which was held at the beginning of March. Mats emphasises the importance of coordinating international AMR funding to create greater impact. He also puts focus on this method bringing funding to countries where AMR is highly prevalent but where research funding for this field is scarce. In addition, the article talks about the need to create greater communication and collaboration across disciplines to better understand the interaction between humans, animals and the environment in the context of AMR.
Read the article here (in Swedish).