The new EU project COMBINE supports the coordination of the Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) programme of the Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI). The project aims to advance the development of medicines for the treatment and prevention of infections with resistant bacteria. The Paul-Ehrlich- Institut is one of the project partners.
On Tuesday 3 December 2019, eleven European partners announced the launch of the new COMBINE (Collaboration for Prevention and Treatment of Multi-Drug Resistant Bacterial Infections) project as part of the IMI AMR Accelerator Programme. COMBINE supports projects in the AMR Accelerator Programme with effective management, communication and data collection capacities and conducts research to strengthen the scientific base in the field of AMR. COMBINE is funded by IMI, a joint initiative of the European Commission and the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA). COMBINE will receive eight million euros from the European Commission and EFPIA will contribute 17 million euros in kind.
The AMR Accelerator is a Public Private Partnership (PPP) initiated by IMI. With a total budget of 295 million euros, six consortia aim to progress a pipeline of potential medicines targeting tuberculosis (TB), non-tuberculous mycobacteria and gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. If successful, the projects in the AMR Accelerator will deliver up to ten new preclinical candidates and up to five "phase II ready" candidates over a period of six years.
COMBINE supports the AMR Accelerator projects in establishing guidelines for data management, improving and standardizing animal infection models and optimizing the design for new clinical trials. Eleven partners from seven European countries with expertise in the field of antibiotic resistance have joined forces:
COMBINE is setting up a coordination and support office for project, data and communication management to ensure smooth processes in the AMR Accelerator. “A forward looking, responsive and synergy-focused management group is essential to support all individual projects, communicate results and link the AMR Accelerator to existing AMR drug development initiatives"
, said Anders Karlén, professor at Uppsala University and COMBINE coordinator.
The discovery of antibiotics was one of the greatest medical achievements of the 20th century. The AMR Accelerator was initiated to build on this as we move towards new drugs to prevent and treat infections caused by resistant bacteria.
This project has received funding from the Innovative Medicines Initiative 2 Joint Undertaking under grant agreement No 853967. This Joint Undertaking receives support from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme and EFPIA companies’ in kind contribution.
The Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI) is working to improve health by speeding up the development of, and patient access to, innovative medicines, particularly in areas where there is an unmet medical or social need. It does this by facilitating collaboration between the key players involved in healthcare research, including universities, the pharmaceutical and other industries, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), patient organizations and medicines regulators. IMI is a partnership between the European Union (represented by the European Commission) and the European pharmaceutical industry (represented by EFPIA, the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations).
The aim of the IMI Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Accelerator is to progress the development of new medicines to treat or prevent resistant bacterial infections in Europe and worldwide. The programme comprises three pillars: a Capability Building Network, a Tuberculosis Drug Development Network; and Portfolio Building Networks. The scope of the AMR Accelerator is broad; under one structure, it addresses many of the scientific challenges of AMR, and it supports the development of new ways to prevent and treat AMR. More broadly, the IMI AMR Accelerator contributes to the European action plan on AMR.
Updated: 03.12.2019
