Brussels, 11 February 2013 -Today the Innovative Medicines Initiative (link) will launch two new projects through its antimicrobial resistance programme New Drugs for Bad Bugs (ND4BB).

Brussels, 11 February 2013 -Today the Innovative Medicines Initiative (link) will launch two new projects through its antimicrobial resistance programme New Drugs for Bad Bugs (ND4BB). Both projects- COMBACTE (Combatting Bacterial Resistance in Europe) and TRANSLOCATION (Molecular basis of the bacterial cell wall permeability) will seek to tackle the growing problem of antimicrobial resistance throughout the EU that is currently the cause of over 25000 deaths in the EU every year and cost the European economy over 1.5billion euro a year.

EFPIA strongly supports the two projects not only for the invaluable research that they will bring to patients throughout the EU but also for the pioneering collaborative model that they represent. As a public-private partnership COMBACTE challenges the normal way in which academics and the industry interact, pushing aside the fee for service model. This collaborative approach to the development of new drugs recognises that the development of much needed antibiotics is the responsibility of both public and private partners and is no longer a wholly commercial endeavour.

All data (positive and negative) will be published in peer reviewed journals and investigators within COMBACTE and the broader scientific community will have the opportunity to access patient level data from the studies after their publication. This framework, unprecedented in the European Union, demonstrates a new way of doing research in an effective, transparent and collaborative way.

Richard Bergstrom, Director General of EFPIA stated the “the ND4BB projects are and will be a great front window of the workings of the IMI. Not only are the projects invaluable but the framework in which the research is being done is also extremely important. I believe that PPP models are the future of research in the EU, the public and private sectors as good as they are at research will only be made better through collaboration such as this. A collaboration that will, in the end, bring the best outcomes for all European citizens.”

About EFPIA:

EFPIA represents the pharmaceutical industry operating in Europe. Through its direct membership of 33 national associations and 39 leading pharmaceutical companies, EFPIA provides the voice of 1,900 companies committed to researching, developing and bringing new medicines to improve health and quality of life around the world. The pharmaceutical industry invests 27.5 billion on research and development per year in Europe and directly employs 660,000 people including 116,000 in R&D units in Europe. 

EFPIA members are committed to delivering innovative medicines to address unmet needs of patients and reducing the burden of chronic diseases for Europe’s ageing population. EFPIA believes in close cooperation with its stakeholders to help create sustainable healthcare   systems and to develop prompt responses to health threats in Europe.

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