Webinar: Tuberculosis, current status update from ongoing research collaborations within the AMR Accelerator (AMR Accelerator Members Only)
2022-03-09 15:00 - 16:30 (Europe/Berlin) | ONLINE WEBINAR, RI
About fifteen people attended this webinar which provided the most recent updates of ongoing TB research within the IMI AMR Accelerator. The following speakers addressed the challenges of their respective TB projects:

Michael Hoelscher (Medical University München) who gave an update and intro to UNITE4TB;
Santiago Ferrer-Bazaga (Universidad Carlos III Madrid) who discussed some challenges from ERA4TB;
Michel Pieren (BioVersys) who gave a clinical update from TRIC-TB.

These updated were followed by a panel discussion moderated by Frederik Deroose (Connecting Pharma), where some of these challenges were discussed in more detail, and some further opportunities for leveraging the TB focused initiatives have been discussed.

AMR Accelerator Cross-project Meeting (AMR Accelerator Members Only)
2022-04-06 | Basel, Switzerland
The 3rd AMR Accelerator Cross-project Meeting for the AMR Accelerator community, a total of 9 projects, took place on 06 April 2022 in Basel, Switzerland.
Please find more details here and the final agenda below:

DOWNLOAD THE FULL PROGRAMME HERE

DOWNLOAD THE PRESENTATIONS HERE

COMBINE Expert Workshop on Monoclonal Antibodies for AMR Pathogens
2022-06-08 15:00 - 2022-06-09 18:00 (Europe/Berlin) | Online
In June 2022, the Paul-Ehrlich-Institut organised a two-day virtual expert workshop on behalf of the COMBINE project. The workshop aimed to address the challenges in developing monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against antimicrobial resistance (AMR) pathogens, with a specific focus on ESCAPE pathogens (E. faecium, S. aureus, C. difficile, A. baumannii, P. aeruginosa, and Enterobacteriaceae). The workshop brought together 24 experts from industry, academia, public health, and regulatory bodies to discuss recurring issues and potential mitigation strategies.
Experts highlighted the distinct challenges in developing mAbs for therapeutic or prophylactic treatments. Different approaches in designing mAb targets were discussed, including directly targeting the bacteria or targeting virulence factors. The importance of robust efficacy data from animal models before initiating clinical testing was emphasised. The potential use of Immunoglobulin M mAbs and inhalation administration for lung infections was also discussed. In the translational session, the experts discussed the integration of various variables into physiologically-based pharmacokinetic models, such as inflammation, tissue distribution, bacterial growth, and clinically relevant markers. The clinical session focused on the challenges in human drug development for mAbs, drawing learnings from COVID-19 trials. Experts highlighted the importance of selecting the right primary endpoint, identifying the appropriate patient population, and having rapid diagnostics available for future studies. Potential solutions to increase the efficiency of clinical trials were also discussed, including adaptive trials, clinical trial networks, and meta-analyses of smaller trials.
Overall, the workshop provided an open forum for experts to discuss and prioritise the challenges in the development of mAbs against AMR pathogens. The insights gained from the workshop will guide future work within the COMBINE project, aiming to overcome bottlenecks in the preclinical and clinical development of mAbs against AMR. This is particularly important given the promising potential of mAbs in treating and preventing AMR infections, particularly those caused by ESCAPE pathogens.
Workshop report available here

UNITE4TB webinar: Progress made to date in shortening TB treatment
2022-07-07 13:00 - 14:00 (Europe/Berlin) | Online
Recap of the third UNITE4TB webinar: Progress made to date in shortening TB treatment
UNITE4TB held its third public webinar on Thursday 7 July, with a focus on the recent changes in the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines for the treatment of Tuberculosis (TB) and an evaluation of the evidence underpinning the shortening of TB treatment for both drug-sensitive and drug-resistant disease. The keynote speaker for the session was Dr. Patrick Phillips, UNITE4TB Consortium member from the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) Center for Tuberculosis. In addition to the points mentioned above, Patrick’s presentation also addressed gaps in the evidence, and questions in need of further research. Attendees were provided with a comprehensive overview of the new, shorter treatments for drug-sensitive and drug-resistant TB, namely the 4-month rifapentine-moxifloxacin regimen and the 6-month bedaquiline-pretomanid-linezolid-moxifloxacin regimen respectively. They were taken through the key findings of the four key clinical trials: Study 31/A5349, NiX-TB, ZeNiX-TB, and TB-PRACTECAL whereby Dr. Phillips addressed the strengths and limitations of the evidence gathered in support of each of the regimens. He emphasized how this evidence is, for the most part, compelling, but gaps still exist that need to be addressed in subsequent studies.
The take-home message of the session: “We have seen unprecedented progress in the shortening of TB treatment in recent years, and it’s an exciting time to be in TB research. The importance of strong evidence is clear: strong evidence results in sound guidelines. Our TB patients need the best treatments available and deserve the highest quality of evidence,” Dr. Patrick Phillips, UCSF.
View webinar recording here

Tuberculosis, current status update from ongoing research collaborations within the AMR Accelerator (AMR Accelerator Members only)
2022-09-13 15:00 - 16:30 (Europe/Berlin) | Online
About twenty people attended this webinar which focused on some highlights and challenges from three TB focused projects, namely UNITE4TB, ERA4TB, and TRIC-TB. The selected speakers, Modesto Remuinan-Blanco (TRIC-TB and GSK), Martin Boeree (UNITE4TB and Radboud UMC), Alfonso Mendoza-Losana (ERA4TB and Universidad Carlos III Madrid) and Oscar della Pasqua (ERA4TB and Consiglia Nazionale delle Ricerche) shared some of the challenges they have been facing within their projects and how they are addressing these. In the last part of this webinar, Frederik Deroose (Connecting Pharma) hosted a panel with whom he discussed and addressed the scientific challenges of the TB research as a global area of interest.

ERA4TB Webinar on Challenges of tuberculosis (TB) drug development and access – clinical, regulatory and HTA perspectives
2022-11-24 11:00 - 12:15 (Europe/London) | Online
ERA4TB launched a series of webinars aimed at exploring key topics in relation to tuberculosis and antimicrobial research and development from clinical, regulatory and HTA perspectives.
With the title “Challenges of tuberculosis (TB) drug development and access – clinical, regulatory and HTA perspectives”, the first webinar was held on 24th November 2022, 11.00-12.15 GMT coinciding with World Antimicrobial Awareness Week.
The session hosted the following experts in the field, particularly:

Francesca Conradie, prominent TB researcher and clinician at the University of Witswatersrand, and ERA4TB Scientific Advisory Board member, who will discuss the current and emerging clinical challenges to tuberculosis and how these are and will influence drug development needs.
Sophie Cooper, Senior Scientific Advisor at the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) who will provide an overview of NICE’s work to tackle antimicrobial resistance through new payment models.

This event was being hosted by our partner organisation, NICE.
Please contact Katharine.Cresswell@nice.org.uk if you require any further information.

Machine Learning Science Interest Group Kick-off Meeting (AMR Accelerator Members only)
2022-11-30 13:30 - 15:00 (Europe/Berlin) | Online
About fifteen people attended the kick-off meeting of the Scientific Interest Group (SIG) on machine learning (ML). First, all attendees introduced themselves and outlined their interest in ML. Frederik Deroose, SIG Chairman, Connecting Pharma (ex-Asclepia Outsourcing Solutions) and Philip Gribbon, SIG Leader, Fraunhofer ITMP introduced the ML Scientific Interest Group (SIG) and its charter. Daniel Domingo-Fernandez, Fraunhofer SCAI and Andrea Zaliani, Fraunhofer ITMP gave expert talks on ML applications in drug discovery and ML-based age predictions based on human methylomes. The talks were followed by a presentation by Yojana Gadiya, Fraunhofer ITMP on the AMR Knowledge Graph and CoADD data sets. The second part of the meeting was focused on what this group is expecting from this SIG, and Frederik Deroose ended the meeting with a summary and outline of the next steps and action points.

Science Interest Group on Animal Models - Kick-off Meeting (AMR Accelerator Members only)
2022-12-06 | Online
About fifteen people attended the kick-off meeting of the Scientific Interest Group (SIG) on animal models. First, all attendees introduced themselves and outlined which models they currently use in their project. Frederik Deroose, SIG Chairman, Connecting Pharma (ex-Asclepia Outsourcing Solutions), SIG Chairman and Carina Vingsbo Lundberg, SIG Leader, Statens Serum Institut introduced the Animal Models Scientific Interest Group (SIG) and its charter. Carina gave an expert talk on “Standardisation of Pneumonia Models”, which was followed by a presentation by Yojana Gadiya, Fraunhofer ITMP on the AMR Knowledge Graph, a novel data resource and innovative visualisation tool built at Fraunhofer ITMP and available to the AMR Accelerator. The second part of the meeting was focused on what this group is expecting from this SIG, and Frederik Deroose ended the meeting with a summary and outline of the next steps and action points.

Communication Training for Scientists in the AMR Accelerator (AMR Accelerator Members only)
2022-12-08 11:00 - 12:30 (Europe/Berlin) | Online

AMR Communication Training for Scientists in the AMR Accelerator (AMR Accelerator Members only)
2023-01-26 10:00 - 12:00 (Europe/Berlin) | Online

Machine Learning Scientific Interest Group 2nd Meeting (AMR Accelerator Members only)
2023-01-27 11:30 - 13:00 (Europe/Berlin) | Online
Fourteen partners attended this second meeting of the Machine Learning (ML) Scientific Interest Group (SIG), which focused on the practical application of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning methods in antimicrobial drug discovery (ADD). Artificial intelligence concerns the study and development of machines that are capable of learning and problem-solving, thus natural intelligence. A “worked example” was presented by Andrea Zaliani, Fraunhofer ITMP on the following topic: “ML analyses of in-vitro MIC data sets from CoADD initiative”. Frederik Deroose, Connecting Pharma (ex-Asclepia Outsourcing Solutions) ended the meeting with a summary and outline of the next steps and action points.

Science Interest Group on Animal Models - 2nd Meeting (AMR Accelerator Members only)
2023-01-30 | Online
About ten people attended this second meeting with the Scientific Interest Group (SIG) on animal models. As a follow up from the previous SIG meeting, this event focused on “Data Cataloging of animal infection models.”. The attendees contributed to this first version of the in vivo catalog with information about their resources and infection models being used in their project. Each participant briefly presented their current animal models. Frederik Deroose, Connecting Pharma (ex-Asclepia Outsourcing Solutions) ended the meeting with a summary and outline of the next steps and action points.

4th AMR Accelerator Cross-project Meeting (AMR Accelerator Members Only)
2023-03-15 | Basel Marriott Hotel, Messeplatz 25, Basel, Basel, 4058, Switzerland
The 4th AMR Accelerator Cross-project Meeting for the AMR Accelerator community, a total of 9 projects, took place on 15 Mach 2023 at the Marriott Hotel, Basel, Switzerland.
Agenda:

List of registered participants

Science Interest Group Workshop on the standardization of animal models of values for AMR (AMR Accelerator Members only)
2023-03-15 13:30 - 15:00 (Europe/Berlin) | Basel Marriott Hotel, Messeplatz 25, Basel, Basel, 4058, Switzerland

Hands-on Workshop: Application of Machine Learning to Antibiotic Drug Discovery (AMR Accelerator Members only)
2023-03-15 13:30 - 15:00 (Europe/Berlin) | Basel Marriott Hotel, Messeplatz 25, Basel, Basel, 4058, Switzerland

Science Communication Interest Group Meeting on Community Engagement (AMR Accelerator Members only)
2023-03-15 13:30 - 15:00 (Europe/Berlin) | Basel Marriott Hotel, Messeplatz 25, Basel, Basel, 4058, Switzerland
People affected with bacterial infections can be involved in every step of antibiotic drug development. Not only can they be receiving an antibiotic treatment that derives from research results, but they can also be contributing partners of research, and even involved in further research. During this Science Communication Interest Group meeting, we explored community engagement on three levels:
1) the right language to use when communicating with people affected by infectious diseases like tuberculosis (TB);
2) involving the public in antimicrobial development research (research partners);
3) engaging with AMR-affected people as research participants.
We also discussed the experiences of members of the SCIG, listening to the following short presentations that helped frame discussions responding to project needs in terms of language guidance and good practices for communicating & engaging with AMR-affected people on all three levels.
Meeting report, including key recommendations for community engagement, available here

4th AMR Accelerator Cross-project Joint ERA4TB-UNITE4TB webinar: Community involvement and engagement in early-stage TB research
2023-03-23 16:00 - 19:00 (Europe/Berlin) | Online
In commemoration of this year’s World TB Day, UNITE4TB partnered with ERA4TB to organize a webinar on the topic of community involvement and engagement in early-stage tuberculosis (TB) research.
More info here.

UNITE4TB webinar: Expert interview on machine learning and artificial intelligence
2023-03-30 13:00 - 14:00 (Europe/Berlin) | Online
The topic of the session was machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) and how ML/AI tools are being utilized within the UNITE4TB Consortium to select, test and deliver novel combination TB regimens.
Split into two parts, the first 30 minutes of the webinar was led by Dr. Carlos Talavera-López of Helmholtz Munich (co-lead of UNITE4TB’s ML/AI work package), who gave a presentation on translating single-cell biology to novel diagnostics and treatments using AI. The second half of the webinar was dedicated to an in-depth discussion of the day’s topic and presentation, providing ample time for attendees to pose questions to the speaker.
For more information and to register, follow this link.
The webinar was organized by consortium partners, Instituto de Saude Publica da Universidade do Porto (ISPUP) and the European Respiratory Society (ERS), with moderation by project members Raquel Duarte (ISPUP) & Christoph Lange (Research Center Borstel).

UNITE4TB Symposium 2023
2023-04-26 11:30 - 12:30 (Europe/Berlin) | Hotel Van der Valk, Nijmegen – Lent
Click here for more information.

UNITE4TB webinar: Expert interview on biomarkers in TB clinical trials
2023-06-08 13:00 - 14:00 (Europe/Berlin) | Online
More information here.

SCIG Workshop on SWOT Analysis Results for AMR Accelerator Communications and Disseminations (AMR Accelerator Members Only)
2023-09-04 14:30 - 16:00 (Europe/Berlin) | Online

Webinar: How ERA4TB is advancing TB research
2023-09-20 16:00 - 17:00 (Europe/Berlin) | Online
Click here to register.

UNITE4TB webinar: Panel discussion on Digital Adherence Technologies in TB care
2023-09-28 13:00 - 14:00 (Europe/Berlin) | Online

Science Communication Interest Group (SCIG): Meeting on communicating animal research and the 3Rs outside the scientific community (AMR Accelerator Members only)
2023-11-10 13:30 - 15:00 (Europe/Berlin) | Online

ERS/UNITE4TB webinar and Panel discussion: the importance of getting the dose right in anti-tuberculosis treatment
2023-11-23 13:00 - 14:00 (Europe/Berlin) | Online

Scientific Interest Group (SIG) Meeting: From data to discovery: Exploring use cases for machine learning model on antibacterial specificity (AMR Accelerator Members only)
2024-01-29 12:00 - 13:00 (Europe/Berlin) | Online

Webinar: How ERA4TB is advancing TB research: imaging, information systems, and computer modelling
2024-02-22 14:00 - 15:00 (Europe/Berlin) | Online

5th AMR Accelerator Cross-project Meeting (AMR Accelerator Members Only)
2024-03-05 | Basel, Switzerland
The 5th AMR Accelerator Cross-project Meeting for the AMR Accelerator community, a total of 9 projects, will take place on 05 Mach 2024 at the Hyperion Hotel in Basel, Switzerland.

Scientific Interest Group (SIG) Meeting: AI tools for identification of of antibacterial compounds at the hit identification stage (AMR Accelerator Members only)
2024-03-05 13:00 - 14:30 (Europe/Berlin) | Basel, Switzerland
Download the meeting flyer here

Scientific Interest Group (SIG) Meeting: Navigating the regulatory landscape - from global influences to local engagement
2024-03-05 13:00 - 14:30 (Europe/Berlin) | Basel, Switzerland
