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Analysis shows mismatch of public funding for antibiotic resistance research
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A large analysis of public investments in antibiotic resistance research in Europe and elsewhere showed marked variability in the number of research projects between countries and in the amount of money spent in specific areas of research.
“The speed at which bacteria have evolved to become resistant to antibiotics has surpassed the speed of drug discovery,” Ruth Kelly, MPH, of the Medical Research Council in London, and colleagues wrote in The Lancet Infectious Diseases. “We are rapidly returning to a pre-antibiotic era, potentially resulting in the next world health crisis.”
Kelly and colleagues conducted a systematic observational analysis of publically funded antibiotic research conducted between 2007 and 2013 in 17 European countries, Canada and Israel. The researchers categorized studies based on six priority topics — therapeutics, diagnostics, surveillance, transmission, environment and interventions. Research funded by private organizations was excluded.
They identified 1,243 antibiotic resistance research projects, backed by a total public investment of €1.3 billion. Two-thirds of that funding was earmarked for new drug development, while only 15% was invested in transmission, 11% in diagnostics, 4% in interventions and just 3% in both environment and surveillance.
Of the total amount invested in antibiotic resistance studies, €646.6 million — or 49.5% — was invested at the national level. This was surpassed by the €659.2 million invested at the EU level.
The researchers said countries “varied substantially” in the number of projects funded over the course of 7 years, with Denmark, Estonia, Finland, the Netherlands, Sweden and the UK investing more than all other countries included in the analysis.
“Investment at present might not correspond with the burden of antibacterial resistance and the looming health, social and economic threat it poses on the treatment of infections and on medicine in general,” Kelly and colleagues wrote. “Hopefully, this analysis will prompt nations to pay due consideration to the existing research landscape when considering future investments.”
In a related editorial, Joseph Robert Fitchett, MBBS, DrPH, and Rifat Atun, MBBS, both from the department of global health and population at Harvard School of Public Health, said the findings reveal the shortcomings of public funding of research, but do offer some hope for the future.
“A coordinated, global effort combining drug resistance, antibiotic pipeline, antibiotic usage and investment data is urgently needed,” Fitchett and Atun wrote. “Kelly and colleagues build on the published literature and provide a basis for harmonization to begin — at the very least on a European platform.” – by Jason Laday
Disclosures: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures. Fitchett and Atun report no relevant financial disclosures.
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