CANCELLED! // EASAC Event on "Antimicrobial drug dicovery" at Conference "EU Science: Global Challenges, Global Collaboration"

CANCELLED DUE TO INCREASED SECURITY MEASURES AT THE EU PARLIAMENT

- WILL BE RESCHEDULED -

The importance of innovation in tackling antimicrobial resistance

Continuing progress in the treatment of many infections is threatened by the growing resistance of pathogens to antimicrobial drugs. The epidemiology of resistance is complex and the problem is compounded by lack of success in developing novel antibiotic classes during the last 2-3 decades.

This event will draw on work by EASAC, the European Academies' Science Advisory Council, in bringing together information on new scientific directions for antimicrobial innovation, and exemplified by recent research conducted in the EU, and with global collaboration, to identify novel targets for antibiotics and novel ways to generate antibiotics as part of the broader thinking on novel approaches to tackling the public health threat from infectious disease.

Contributors will review challenges and achievements in order to stimulate discussion on some key issues for: supporting basic research, including stimulating neglected disciplines; promoting systematic approaches to generating novel compounds (such as finding new routes to culture hitherto unculturable micro-organisms and new sources of natural products); addressing impediments in translating from new discoveries to drug development; optimising EU partnerships; and rethinking regulatory frameworks.

The challenges for innovation are scientific, technical, regulatory and economic, but they cannot be tackled without also increasing the visibility of the issues with policy-makers and society-at-large. EASAC will continue to stimulate wider engagement and discussants are invited to advise on ways to catalyse further discussion and action on these vital matters.