JULY 9, 2021, BOSTON, MA — The AMR Action Fund, the world’s largest public-private partnership supporting the development of new antibiotics, today announced the appointment of physician and drug developer John H. Rex, MD as Chair of the AMR Action Fund’s Scientific Advisory Board (SAB). Dr. Rex brings over 30 years of drug development and policy experience focused on antimicrobial agents to the SAB, which has the mandate to decide on targets to bring forward for potential investment.
“We are thrilled John Rex has agreed to serve as Chair of the AMR Action Fund’s Scientific Advisory Board. His deep understanding of the challenges of antibiotic development will help ensure the Fund invests in the most innovative antibiotics in the clinical pipeline. I look forward to working closely with him to find new treatments for patients that address the growing threat of AMR,” said Henry Skinner, CEO of the AMR Action Fund.
The SAB will provide scientific expertise and evaluate the public health and technical aspects of potential investments, reviewing all investments under consideration by the Fund to determine if a potential target meets the Fund’s Scientific Charter. The Scientific Charter outlines at a high-level the scope for the Fund’s investments, including its focus on financing development of clinical-stage treatments for pathogens prioritized by leading public health agencies that are novel, clinically differentiated, and reduce patient mortality.
Dr. John H. Rex currently focuses on advancing novel regulatory and reimbursement paradigms for antimicrobial agents via his role as Editor-in-Chief of AMR.Solutions (https://amr.solutions/), a Wellcome Trust-funded newsletter focused on the latest news about antimicrobials and antibiotic resistance. He previously held roles across academia, pharmaceutical and biotech companies, was one of the Industry-based founders of ND4BB (New Drugs For Bad Bugs) and its DRIVE-AB project, served as Expert-in-Residence at Wellcome Trust, was the founding Chief Strategy Officer for CARB-X, has been SAB Chair for the Novo REPAIR Impact Fund, and was a voting member of the US Presidential Advisory Council on Combatting Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria (PACCARB) during its initial three years of operation. He is also currently Chief Medical Officer for F2G Limited, a privately owned company developing novel antifungal agents and an Operating Partner with Advent Life Sciences, a London-based Venture Capital group.
“The AMR Action Fund is a critical part of the global Push-Pull framework needed to ensure sustained delivery of innovative new agents,” said John H. Rex. “By using its funds to shape the global pipeline, the AMR Action Fund will shape the global conversation about the pipeline and about the way that innovation reward, stewardship, and access can be mutually supportive. I am honored to be able to play a part in its strategic governance!”
The AMR Action Fund is a ground-breaking partnership launched in July 2020 by more than 20 leading pharmaceutical companies; since then, it has been joined by non-industry investors, making it a true public-private initiative. The AMR Action Fund aims to bring 2 to 4 new antibiotics to patients by 2030. These treatments are urgently needed to address the rapid rise of AMR which has the potential to undermine every aspect of medicine today.
The Fund will soon take its first steps to invest in clinical research supporting innovative new antibiotics that are addressing the most resistant bacteria and life-threatening infections. It continues to engage to facilitate the needed long-term solutions that ensure a sustainable ecosystem driving innovation, availability, and access to new antimicrobial agents.
The AMR Action Fund is an initiative from over 20 leading biopharmaceutical companies that seeks to invest over US$1 billion, with the aim of bringing 2-4 new antibiotics to patients by 2030. The AMR Action Fund will invest in small companies developing innovative antibacterial treatments. In collaboration with philanthropic organizations, development banks, and multilateral organizations, the AMR Action Fund will strengthen and accelerate antibiotic development. It will also work with governments to ensure there is a sustainable pipeline of new antibiotics to fight superbugs.
The concept of the AMR Action Fund was developed by the IFPMA and its member biopharmaceutical companies, in collaboration with the World Health Organization, the European Investment Bank, and the Wellcome Trust. Investors in the AMR Action Fund include: Almirall; Amgen; Bayer; Boehringer Ingelheim; Boehringer Ingelheim Foundation; Chugai; Daiichi-Sankyo; Eisai; Eli Lilly and Company; the European Investment Bank (with the support of the European Commission under Horizon 2020, the 2014-2020 European Union research and innovation program); GlaxoSmithKline; Johnson & Johnson; LEO Pharma; Lundbeck; Menarini; Merck; Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany; Novartis; Novo Nordisk; Novo Nordisk Foundation; Pfizer; Roche; Shionogi; Takeda; Teva; UCB; and the Wellcome Trust.
Silas Holland, Interim Director of External Affairs, AMR Action Fund