The AMR Action Fund is expected to invest more than US$1 billion with the support of future partners…
…such as development banks and philanthropic organizations, into a portfolio of companies to address the funding gap for the financing of antibiotic development. In addition, the AMR Action Fund will establish a capabilities platform to provide technical support from the pharmaceutical industry to portfolio companies. This will allow portfolio companies to tap into a unique ecosystem of pharmaceutical experts and resources that are critical to ensure successful development of new novel antibiotics.
Companies seeking funding for their clinical development programs of novel antibiotics can contact us at that time.
The AMR Action Fund will invest in smaller biotech companies focused on developing new antibiotics that address the highest priority public health needs
Our investments will be guided by an independent Scientific Advisory Board comprised of world-class experts.
Invest based on the WHO/CDC priority lists of pathogens, with the goal to address major unmet needs and maximize public health impact.
Prioritize novel antibacterial treatments, as recognized by leading public health agencies, with significant and differentiated clinical utility and that reduces patient mortality.
AMR Action Fund Access and Appropriate Use Principles
Overall Position
The AMR Action Fund is committed to ensuring that the novel antibiotics it invests in are used appropriately and are accessible to the patients who need them. The AMR Action Fund will leverage its investments and capabilities platform to ensure portfolio companies meet these principles.
Key Principles
Antibiotic development should be guided by appropriate use and access considerations.
The AMR Action Fund will invest in the development of antibiotics that address unmet medical needs prioritized by WHO, CDC, and other leading health authorities. The overall guiding principles for any decisions and actions by the AMR Action Fund and its portfolio companies should be to advance medical science, contribute to slowing the emergence of resistance, and support appropriate patient access. In addition to these patient and population health benefits, AMR Action Fund investments into appropriate use and access are also a key part of creating a sustainable commercial foundation and enhancing future partnership opportunities for portfolio companies.
Appropriate use and access should be built into every step of the product life cycle.
As an investor, the AMR Action Fund will work to ensure portfolio companies design and undertake clinical trials in a way that support appropriate use and broad access, for example by pursuing indications that reflect the highest unmet needs, generating data that inform appropriate use in vulnerable populations, and developing formulations that facilitate access. The AMR Action Fund will support portfolio companies to develop regulatory strategies that aim for broad registration for their products and track emerging resistance.
Following launch, products developed with AMR Action Fund support will be manufactured, marketed, clinically supported, and sold consistent with the principles in the Davos Declaration, Industry Roadmap for Progress on AMR, and AMR Industry Alliance. All portfolio companies will be expected to become members of the AMR Industry Alliance to report progress against industry commitments related to research, access, appropriate use, and manufacturing. This includes commitments to ensure promotional activities for antibiotics are aligned with the goal of advancing stewardship, collect and share surveillance data with public health bodies and healthcare professionals, and engage with diagnostic companies to support appropriate use.
Ensuring appropriate use and access will require actions from a broad set of stakeholders.
The AMR Action Fund recognizes the complex nature of expanding access to antibiotics globally, given the challenges of ensuring appropriate use and reducing the development of resistance. Similar to other therapeutic areas, the pharmaceutical industry has an important role in supporting appropriate use and access for the products it develops. Ensuring affordable access to new and existing antibiotics, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, will require new partnerships with governments, donors, international organizations, industry, and civil society. The AMR Action Fund will advocate for creating new mechanisms and strengthening existing partnerships to facilitate increased appropriate access to novel antibiotics in low- and middle-income countries. Portfolio companies will identify countries where commercialisation is regarded as unfeasible within a reasonable time horizon and therefore these new mechanisms and additional support will be needed to enable access and appropriate use of novel antibiotics. In addition, governments need to strengthen health care systems to support access and appropriate use, and create market conditions that enable a sustainable return on investment, recognizing the value of novel antibiotics addressing high unmet needs.
Antibiotic developer companies should be supported to fulfill their role in achieving access and appropriate use.
Through its investments and capability platform, which provides connection to a diverse set of expertise from both industry and non-industry partners, the AMR Action Fund will provide vital support to portfolio companies to ensure activities are aligned with Access and Appropriate Use principles. The AMR Action Fund will work with portfolio CONFIDENTIAL companies to build access and appropriate use into antibiotic development strategies, and support companies to develop and make public Access and Appropriate Use Plans when assets are in Phase III clinical trials. These plans will include the strategies to be adopted by portfolio companies to promote access and appropriate use, including how they will work with partners in low- and middle-income countries, in line with guidance to be developed by the AMR Action Fund. The AMR Action Fund will monitor progress against these plans as part of its regular engagement with portfolio companies and will factor this into potential follow-on investments.
We will be announcing our investments as they materialize – stay tuned!
