BEUC NEWS - 09.01.2025

Antimicrobial resistance is not getting the attention it deserves. 

As many as 35,000 people are now dying every year in Europe because the bacteria responsible for infections, sometimes routine, are developing resistance to the antibiotics we have available. New antibiotics are needed as a matter of urgency, but too few are being developed.

In this new infographic, the European Consumer Organisation (BEUC) shares what it believes is a fair model to help develop these new medicines we so desperately need.

It involves:

• The EU and its Member States increasing their contributions to finance the development of antibiotics that address priority medical needs.
• A scheme of push and pull incentives, including research grants, milestone prizes and joint procurement, backed up by a ‘revenue guarantee’ model which works as top-up payments when sales volumes are insufficient alone as an incentive for drug developers.
• The revenue guarantee scheme would help to delink sales volumes from revenues, which has traditionally been a problem in new antibiotic development.

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Such a mix of push and pull incentives  could break the deadlock of having  very few innovative antibiotics currently under development tackling the top risk category of pathogens.

It is based on collaborative efforts globally between public funders, research universities, non-profit drug developers, and the pharma industry. By attaching conditions to public funding, this model delivers new antibiotics and contributes to their responsible use, the sustainability of public health systems, and access to healthcare worldwide.