New WHO report highlights progress, but also remaining gaps, in ensuring a robust pipeline of antibiotic treatments to combat antimicrobial resistance (AMR)

AMR was associated with nearly 5 million deaths in 2019, however the R&D pipeline for new antibiotics is thin and access to new and existing treatments remains a challenge.

WHO, in partnership with the Global AMR R&D Hub, has released a report for G7 Finance and Health Ministers detailing progress on incentivizing the development of new antibacterial treatments. The Global AMR R&D Hub is a partnership of countries, non-governmental donor organisations and intergovernmental organisations to address challenges and improve coordination and collaboration in global AMR R&D using a One Health approach.

The report follows commitments made in 2021 and 2022[1] by G7 Finance and Health Ministers to expedite implementation of existing AMR strategies, to take additional steps to address antibiotic market failure, create economic conditions to preserve the effectiveness of essential existing antibiotics and ensure their access, strengthen AMR Research and Development, and bring novel antibacterial medicines to market that address public health needs.