The 5th Annual Cross-project Meeting of the AMR Accelerator convened on 5 March 2024 in Basel, Switzerland, bringing together almost 40 members from the nine AMR Accelerator projects as well as key stakeholder representatives from organisations in the AMR field including CARB-X, Treatment Action Group, and the World Health Organization. Against the backdrop of the 8th AMR Conference‘s record-breaking attendance, the gathering underlined the importance of cross-project collaborations in advancing AMR research.

The meeting commenced with a series of project pitches, offering insights into the progress and expected impacts of ongoing research initiatives. Representatives from AB-Direct, COMBINE, ERA4TB, GNA NOW, PrIMAVeRa, RespiriNTM, RespiriTB, TRIC-TB, and UNITE4TB shared promising stories, underscoring the projects’ diverse approaches to combat AMR. Two of the nine projects, AB-Direct and TRIC-TB, have already ended. During the meeting, they shared their final outcomes with the AMR Accelerator community. AB-Direct announced that their final data on the penetration potential of the innovative antibiotic gepotidacin into prostate and tonsillar tissue will be disclosed at the upcoming ECCMID conference on 27-30 April 2024 in Barcelona, Spain. TRIC-TB celebrated reaching a key milestone by delivering a Phase 2-ready tuberculosis clinical candidate, alpibectir. Phase-2 clinical trials for alpibectir are being developed in a follow-on project, bEto-TB, financed by the European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership. 

Throughout the day, participants engaged in Scientific Interest Group Meetings, delving into topics critical to progressing AMR research. Discussions spanned the utilisation of mouse models in AMR research, the role of machine learning tools in antibiotic drug discovery, and strategies for effective and transparent engagement practices towards regulators. Highlights included a presentation by Damiano De Felice, Director of Development and External Engagement, CARB-X, shedding light on the significance of push and pull incentives in addressing the antibacterial innovation and access crisis. The session provided valuable insight into why and how AMR research can lead to sustainable antibiotics development. The agenda also included a Communication Advisory Board Meeting, where participants mostly explored avenues for amplifying the AMR Accelerator voice in the context of the upcoming UN high-level meeting on AMR on 26 September 2024 in New York.

Furthermore, the AMR Accelerator made its presence felt at the AMR Conference with an exhibition booth. Visitors had the opportunity to explore details about the nine AMR Accelerator projects, browse through the AMR Accelerator pipeline portfolio, and sign up for upcoming activities such as the COMBINE webinar on Developing Target Product Profiles for Antibiotics, on 15 March 2024.

The meeting concluded with a renewed sense of purpose and a shared vision for the future of AMR research within the AMR Accelerator. As project partners continue to collaborate and innovate, the AMR Accelerator remains steadfast in its mission to drive progress towards sustainable solutions for the global multi-sectoral issue of AMR.