The world urgently needs new antibiotics, but paradoxically, there are only a very few new drugs in the pipeline. The reason is that there is currently no viable market for antibiotics, and new ones are only used sparingly to preserve effectiveness.
The AMR Action Fund will invest in small and medium-sized biotech companies focused on developing innovative antibacterial treatments that address the highest-priority public health needs, which means the most dangerous and resistant bacteria. The Fund will therefore support innovative antibiotic candidates through the later stages of development before a drug is approved for patient use. Lack of funding at these stages often blocks further development.
In addition to its investment activities, the AMR Action Fund will also seek to bring together a broad alliance of industry and non-industry stakeholders, including philanthropies, development banks and health organizations to help governments create market conditions that enable sustainable investment in the antibiotic pipeline.
Together with the Danish pharmaceutical companies Novo Nordisk A/S, LEO Pharma and Lundbeck, the Novo Nordisk Foundation has contributed around DKK 500 million (USD 75 million) to the initiative.
