Two new programs aim to accelerate the development of antibiotics in the face of growing antibiotic-resistant infections. The NewDrugs4BadBugs project, launched in May by Europe’s Innovative Medicine Initiative (IMI), is a public-private partnership that will fund drug development and coordinate a network for drug trials. The IMI is providing €109 million ($134 million) in funding and participating companies, including AstraZeneca and GlaxoSmithKline, are expected to provide €114.7 million. The US’s Generating Antibiotic Incentives Now Act was passed in July as part of the Prescription Drug User Fee Act. Starting in October, it will provide new incentives for the development of antibiotics for a “qualifying pathogen,” including MRSA and multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria. Among the incentives are faster FDA approval and an extra five years of market exclusivity. The Act also requires the FDA revisit its antibiotic guidelines in a year.

Source: Nature Biotechnology