Novo Nordisk Foundation commits $25m to CARB-X to combat drug-resistant infections

The Novo Nordisk Foundation is committing up to $25 million to support the early-stage development of innovative tools to prevent, diagnose and treat the most dangerous drug-resistant bacterial infections.

The three-year grant will go to the Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria Biopharmaceutical Accelerator (CARB-X), the leading global non-profit public-private partnership in this space. 

Antimicrobials, including antibiotics, are the world’s primary defence against infections. But when the bacteria, viruses, fungi, or parasites that cause those infections mutate and become resistant to existing treatments, simple infections can lead to severe illness or death.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) threatens to unravel societies and the global economic system by increasing the risks of performing routine medical procedures such as caesarean sections, hip replacements, and chemotherapy, impairing our food chain, and diminishing productivity. The most comprehensive assessment of the burden of AMR to date found that drug-resistant bacterial infections alone caused an estimated 3,500 deaths every day in 2019, a number on the rise and already higher than both HIV/AIDS and malaria. According to the World Bank, in a high AMR-impact scenario, the world would lose 3.8% of its annual GDP by 2050, with an annual shortfall of $3.4 trillion by 2030.

A key part of the solution is the development of new vaccines, diagnostic tools, antibiotics, and other interventions that can help prevent these infections, diagnose them quickly and accurately, and treat them effectively. Yet, most major pharmaceutical companies have exited the market and those left in the early development space tend to be academic spinouts and small companies in need of grants and guidance.

CARB-X, a global non-profit partnership funded by four G7 governments and three of the world’s biggest foundations, is a provider of support to these product developers. The partnership, therefore, plays a crucial role in moving promising ideas for cutting-edge antibacterial products from basic research to clinical development and through Phase 1 clinical trials. Since 2016, CARB-X has funded 93 projects in 12 countries. Nineteen projects have advanced into or completed clinical trials; 12 remain active in clinical development, including late-stage clinical trials; and two diagnostic products have reached the market.

Peter Lawætz Andersen, senior vice president in infectious disease at the Foundation, said: “Like CARB-X, the Novo Nordisk Foundation is committed to driving innovation in the fight against drug-resistant infections. By partnering, we can help ensure that the best research gets translated into effective, scalable, and affordable medical interventions that can help end this growing pandemic.”

Kevin Outterson, executive director of CARB-X and Austin B. Fletcher, professor of law at Boston University, added: “CARB-X is grateful for this generous contribution from the Novo Nordisk Foundation, a key ally in CARB-X’s mission. This new funding is a testament to our shared commitment to supporting the pioneering efforts of antibacterial product developers, mainly university spinoffs and small biotech companies, in advancing much-needed innovation to prevent, diagnose and treat the most dangerous drug-resistant bacterial infections.”