Antibiotic resistance poses a serious challenge to public health, but also raises the important question about much-needed research and development (R&D), and the limitations of traditional models of investment and intellectual property (IP) rights.
The reasons for antibiotic resistance are diverse, and its effects are felt by developed and developing countries alike.
From the investment perspective, the main problem is a lack of incentives for the private sector to develop new classes of antibiotics.
This ad hoc expert group meeting will examine possible approaches to increase investment in combatting antibiotic resistance; the way governments and the private sector could cooperate under new R&D funding models, for instance the Global Antibiotic and R&D Partnership (GARDP); proposals to delink financing of drug R&D from volume sales and price (“delinkage”); and the role of the IP system and its implications for developing countries.
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