The Department of Health and Human Services announced Thursday morning a $300 million commitment to supporting a public-private antibiotic-resistant bacteria accelerator over the next decade.
Called the Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria Biopharmaceutical Accelerator (CARB-X), the accelerator was jointly launched in 2016 by HHS’ Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and global health charity Wellcome.
The Boston University-led program funds and offers technical, regulatory and business support to private companies in the early stages of developing new products to address antimicrobial-resistant infections.
“Antibiotic resistance continues to grow at an alarming rate worldwide, killing an estimated 1.27 million people each year and affecting the U.S. and global economies,” HHS Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response Dawn O’Connell said in a statement. “To save lives and keep pace with that growing threat, we need to accelerate the development and delivery of innovative and effective antibiotics. CARB-X partners are responding to this challenge by reinvigorating the pipeline of early-stage [antimicrobial-resistant] candidates to help fight deadly infections.”
CARB-X is the world’s largest accelerator of its kind, having funded the advancement of 92 such products, according to HHS. To date, 11 funded antibiotic-resistant infection treatment or prevention products have made it to human clinical trials while four diagnostics have moved to validation and verification.
HHS’ $300 million includes $20 million that will be provided to CARB-X this year, according to the department. Wellcome has also signed on to provide as much as $70 million over the next three years.
The program has received a total of $503 million in public and private investments since its launch, with BARDA and Wellcome providing $200 million and $155 million, respectively. Other backers include the U.K. and German governments and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
According to the announcement, CARB-X will be using its new money to support companies in its existing portfolio and open new funding rounds for its accelerator.
“We are grateful for the leadership and commitment demonstrated by BARDA, NIAID and Wellcome in addressing the global challenge of [antimicrobial-resistant] bacteria,” Kevin Outterson, executive director of CARB-X and professor of law at Boston University, said in a statement. “We now know that [antimicrobial resistance] kills more people each year than HIV or malaria, and a similar number to tuberculosis. With today’s funding announcements, CARB-X will continue to support early-stage research and development for new antibacterial therapies, preventives and diagnostics.”
Antibiotic-resistant infections are responsible for more than 35,000 annual deaths and more than $4.6 billion in spending each year within the U.S. alone, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The World Health Organization has declared antimicrobial resistance among the top 10 global public health threats.