EU to offer ‘incentives’ for alternative antibiotic research

Swedeen's EU Presidency hosted an expert conference about the antibiotic resistance threat on 17 September 2009 in Stockholm. The aim of the conference was to explore ways of creating incentives for the development of new drugs. Such incentives could be changes in the regulatory mechanisms, innovative financial instruments or other innovative mechanisms.

The Presidency wanted to send a political signal that innovative incentives are urgently needed for the development of new antibacterials. Bacteria that cannot be treated with conventional antibiotics is a growing problem, both in Sweden and elsewhere. At the same time, the level of research into and the development of new effective antibiotics is decreasing.

European Commission: DG Research: European Research in Action: Antibiotics resistance http://ec.europa.eu/research/leaflets/antibiotics/index_en.html

WHO: Antimicrobial resistance http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs194/en/

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