The Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI) has launched a €223.7 million programme to tackle antimicrobial resistance and to speed up the development of new antibiotics.

TheIMI’s programme is part of the European Commission’s Action Plan against the rising threats from Antimicrobial Resistance, which was launched in November last year. This week saw the launch of the first set of projects to be funded in this area. Announced in IMI’s 6th Call for proposals, a joint budget of up to €223.7 million is foreseen for the projects (€109 million of IMI funding + €114.7 million through in kind contributions by participating EFPIA companies).

The initial projects will focus on building and training networks of researchers, facilitating and increasing the exchange of research data, and improving the efficiency of clinical trials on new antibiotics through better laboratory tests and better trial design. The novel trial design will be applied in clinical trials testing experimental antibiotics to fight particularly resistant bacteria.
 

More information here.