Revisiting and Rebuilding Clinical Development of Drugs for Antimicrobial Resistance – Lessons Learned During the COVID Pandemic

The World Health Organization (WHO) has identified antimicrobial resistance (AMR) as one of the biggest threats to global health. Despite the concerns raised by many in the public health community, the antibiotic pipeline is still quite limited and resistance to many antibiotics continues to grow. The lack of new antibiotics to treat bacterial infections was at a crisis point prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. It is an ongoing silent pandemic that results in over 700,000 deaths each year.

The global COVID-19 pandemic heightened our understanding and awareness to the threat of infectious diseases, including drug-resistant infections. With this increased focus and acute sensitivity to the impact of a pandemic on our health and economies, there is an opportunity to revisit the needs that exist in antibiotics, antibiotic development, and access.

In this webinar, we bring together AMR experts to discuss how we can use the momentum from the pandemic to rethink, rebuild and revitalize the pipeline for antibacterial drugs. Key topics for discussion include:

• Antibiotics and AMR: drug development pre-pandemic, impacts from COVID-19, and visions for post-pandemic realities
• The importance of global antimicrobial resistance surveillance
• How global AMR surveillance programs and data mining of local and regional antibiograms can be leveraged to inform antimicrobial drug development and optimize clinical trials, for example in feasibility and site selection
• How can we continue the momentum, the passion, and awareness that was awakened by COVID-19 to other global threats like AMR?

Speakers

Brian Murphy, MD, MPH, FIDSA, Vice-President, Medical Department, Medpace

Dr. Murphy is board-certified in infectious disease, internal medicine, as well as pediatrics and has more than 19 years of experience as a medical lead or Principal Investigator (PI) of clinical trials for anti-infectives and vaccines. He has worked with multi-disciplinary translational/clinical research teams as the PI or consultant on numerous trials investigating the pathogenesis and management of infections in adult and pediatric hospitalized patients and outpatients, including COVID-19 trials, trials in genitourinary, gastrointestinal, respiratory and skin and skin structure infections; fungal diseases; HIV, HBV, HCV; infections in the immunocompromised host; vaccine development; anti-bioterrorism agents; and immunotherapeutics.

Message Presenter

Jennifer Schneider, PhD, Senior Advisor, External Affairs, GARDP

Jennifer has nearly twenty years of experience working with companies, universities, and non-governmental organizations in the United States and around the world, providing expertise in antibiotic policy, partnering, and fundraising. She participates in US and international discussions surrounding market creation, access, and novel payment models. Jennifer received her PhD in molecular biology from the University of Notre Dame and her MPH in epidemiology and international health from the University of Michigan.

Message Presenter

Daniel F. Sahm, PhD, D(ABMM), FAAM, VP Global Microbiology Services & Chief Scientific Officer, IHMA

Dan has over 30 years of academic and industry experience focused on antimicrobial sciences and support of anti-infective research and product development. His experience spans the technical, clinical, regulatory, and business aspects required for all phases of product development. Dan has provided extensive expertise and has managed a wide array of laboratory services that have supported both small and large biopharmaceutical companies’ development of a wide variety of anti-infective products and strategies.

Message Presenter