A new report by the Office of Health Economics (OHE) has provided insights into investor views on the potential impact of a UK antibiotic subscription model in supporting research and development.
NHS England and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) have already introduced a subscription-based funding pilot aimed at providing a guaranteed return on investment for two new antimicrobial treatments that have been granted regulatory approval.
Lessons learned from the pilot subscription have been adapted in the OHE report for a new UK-wide scheme.
The World Health Organization has declared antimicrobial resistance (AMR), when bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites become resistant to antimicrobials, as one of the top ten threats to global public health.
The OHE report, Proposals for a Novel UK Antimicrobial Subscription Model: The Investor Perspective, provides an analysis of the proposals from the viewpoint of international investors and offers recommendations to strengthen pull incentives for investors.
The recommendations include clarification of long-term commitments to the scheme, considerations of a form of early advice or dialogue for developers and more.
Nine institutional investors, mission-led investors and biopharmaceutical executives were interviewed by the OHE, which examined the potential global antibiotic research and development investment impact that the new model could have.
All investors agreed that the UK’s approach could influence other countries to propose similar incentives.
They suggested that a collaborative effort involving the EU and the US would be crucial to establishing the minimum level of incentive and that various types of incentives combined at a global level would significantly boost investment.
Paul Catchpole, director, value and access policy at the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI), said: “By establishing a permanent subscription framework for antimicrobial products, the UK is setting an example for the world to follow.
“We must provide investors with a transparent and supportive framework if we are to combat antibiotic resistance.”