SOUNDS OF SCIENCE PODCAST EPISODE #22 – Tackling Antimicrobial Resistance: EUCOPE’s Position and Industry Perspectives

Sounds of Science – Episode 22

Tackling Antimicrobial Resistance: EUCOPE’s Position and Industry Perspectives

In this episode of EUCOPE Sounds of Science, the discussion centers on antimicrobial resistance (AMR), often referred to as the “silent killer” due to its escalating threat to public health and the relative lack of public awareness. Featuring insights from EUCOPE and leaders in the pharmaceutical industry, the episode explores key policy recommendations to incentivize the development of innovative antimicrobials and ensure patient access across Europe. It also addresses the urgent need for sustainable market conditions to combat AMR and secure the future of effective treatments.

In this new episode, Stefano Romanelli, Senior Government Affairs Manager at EUCOPE, is joined by:

• Jo Taylor – Executive Director, Corporate Affairs – Shionogi Europe
• Emanuele Degortes – Global Head of Access Policy, Patient Advocacy & Engagement – Menarini

Together, they discuss EUCOPE’s Position Paper “Incentives for Development of and Access to Antimicrobials” and share their recommendations for the EU’s response to the AMR crisis.

Key topics include:

• How to incentivise the development and uptake of innovative antimicrobials and antibiotics.
• The need for both push and pull incentive mechanisms
• Strengthening collaboration across EU Member States
• Integrating AMR policy into broader EU health priorities
• Building a sustainable market for antimicrobials in Europe

Episode Highlights

Jo Taylor:

Investor funding or clinical trial support pull incentives reward a company that develops a medicine by guaranteeing revenue, and that usually means separating all what we call delinking revenue that companies receive. So it’s not dependent on the amount or the volume of antibiotics sold. Currently, pushing centres alone won’t be enough to drive the development of new antimicrobials beyond the R&D phase, so the introduction of pull incentives or innovative financing mechanisms is essential.

Emanuele Degortes:

Here we’re dealing with a double problem: on the one hand, a lack of R&D. Jo said only 28 products are currently in the pipeline with a very high failure rate. But at the same time, we also have a situation where a lot of the products that have been developed may have received marketing authorizations are still not reaching patients because of the poor access conditions. So both of these elements, R&D on one side and the access on the other need to be addressed at the same time.

Read the full Position Paper.

Listen to the full episode:

Spotify:

YouTube: