Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a recognised global public health threat and silent pandemic. The misuse and overuse of antibiotics in humans, animals and crops is leading to antibiotics becoming ineffective. But this is not all. While we are not conserving the existing stock of medicines, at the other end of spectrum, the pipeline for new antibiotics is drying up because of increasingly lesser research on new antibiotics. This means in the years to come, we are going to face a dire health emergency
Our recent assessment has shown that major pharmaceutical companies are opting out of research and development for new antibiotics not just because it is a high-risk and low-return proposition, but also because there is much more profit in drugs that are used for treating diseases like cancer or diabetes. Small and medium antibiotic developers are also facing big challenges. It is also clear that the current support provided is not enough and a lot needs to be done to stimulate the antibiotic R&D ecosystem for a sustainable and equitable antibiotic access. It is time to think about antibiotics as a ‘global public good’.
Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) invites you attend the first of its three-part webinar series – The Antibiotic Webinars: The crisis in antibiotic research and development. This would be followed by webinars on recognising antibiotics as a ‘global public good’ and on working towards resolving this crisis.
Please note: This is a free Zoom webinar, and registration is open to all. All those who register will receive an automatic confirmation. However, the webinar can accommodate a limited number of attendees on a first come-first served basis only. Therefore, please try to join 5 minutes before the scheduled time.
FOR MORE DETAILS, CONTACT: Sukanya Nair sukanya.nair@cseindia.org+91 88168 18864
James Anderson leads the IFPMA’s Global Health programme of work, developing policy, engaging with key stakeholders and building partnerships across the public and private sectors. James spans the breadth of global health and focuses on priority disease areas including AMR, pandemic preparedness, and non-communicable diseases, to address key challenges for our companies, health stakeholders and patients. Prior to joining the IFPMA in January 2021, James worked in a variety of roles at GSK since joining in 2005, most recently as Head of Corporate Government Affairs. James has been involved in establishing multiple initiatives to address AMR, including the AMR Action Fund, the Davos Declaration, the IMI ‘New Drugs for Bad Bugs’, GARDP, and the AMR Industry Alliance. He has also served as an industry spokesperson on AMR and advisor to the O’Neill AMR Review, the UK Government-Industry Joint TF, the WHO and the EU Commission and has Chaired several industry groups. James serves as Chair both of the AMR Industry Alliance and the INTREPID Alliance on antivirals and has also served on the Board of the UK Life Science Strategy and as the Vice-Chair of Business at OECD Healthcare Committee.
Rich Lawson spent nearly 25 years in the pharmaceutical industry working in project management and portfolio management. He then moved to global public health as the Senior Program manager for Serious Illness Care at Ariadne Labs, a joint center between the Harvard School of Public Health and Brigham & Women’s Hospital. He has been with CARB-X since March 2017.
Dr. Lesley Ogilvie is Director of the Secretariat at the Global AMR R&D Hub, a global partnership focused on addressing challenges and improving co-ordination and collaboration in AMR research and development using a One Health approach. She has over 15 years-experience working in academia as a researcher and lecturer in Microbial Ecogenomics at the Universities of Brighton and East Anglia in the UK, and the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics in Germany. Her research focus has been the role of the human gut virome/microbiome in health and disease and the discovery and characterisation of therapeutic phage. Dr. Ogilvie represents the Global AMR R&D Hub on a number of advisory groups, including for the World Health Organisation and the European Commission, and is a member of the Applied Microbiology International One Health Advisory Group.
Amit Khurana is Director of the Sustainable Food Systems programme at the Centre for Science and Environment, India. Along with his team, Amit works to push for necessary change in policy and practice on issues related to junk foods and non-communicable diseases; pesticide use and organic and natural farming; and antibiotic use in food production and waste management from farms and factories and their linkages with the growing crisis of antimicrobial resistance. He works for the required change at the national level, and in countries of the global south as well as global policy relevant to such countries.
Rajeshwari Sinha is a Programme Manager in the Sustainable Food Systems programme at the Centre for Science and Environment. At CSE, she leads the global and national portfolio of the antimicrobial resistance programme, focusing on the animal and environmental aspects. Her work entails policy advocacy and research on issues around AMR, food systems and sustainable food. She holds a doctoral degree in microbial biochemistry from the Indian Institute of Technology of Delhi, following which she transitioned into working at the science-policy interface in the public health space. She is also an alumna of the Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta.
Gauri Arora is a Programme Officer in the Sustainable Food Systems programme at the Centre for Science and Environment. At CSE, she works on the global and national portfolio of the antimicrobial resistance programme, focusing on the animal and environmental aspects. She holds a master’s degree in environmental studies and resource management from TERI School of Advanced Studies, Delhi, and is also an alumna of University of Delhi.
