Summary
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a serious health threat with the potential to become a full-blown crisis as treatment options dwindle. In Canada, 26% of infections are resistant to the medicines generally first prescribed to treat an infection, a rate that could rise to 40% or beyond in the coming decades (see When Antibiotics Fail).
Timely, secure, and stable access to effective antimicrobials will be essential to mitigate future infectious disease pandemics and AMR. However, new antimicrobials have limited profitability because to curb resistance development, they are intended to be used sparingly ― in severe cases as a treatment of last resort.
Due to poor returns on investment and other barriers, traditional market forces alone are not enough to ensure the commercial launch and market sustainability of new antimicrobials in Canada. Economic pull incentives offer one method through which high-value antimicrobials ― those used to treat infections in humans for which there are no or few other options ― may be introduced and remain available in the Canadian market.
The sponsor:
Public Health Agency of Canada
The question:
What economic pull incentives have the greatest potential for success in encouraging the market entry and sustained market availability of high-value antimicrobials for use in humans in Canada?
