Source · Select Committees · Women and Equalities Committee
Recommendation 7
7
Deferred
Set out steps and funding for developing new antibiotics for gonorrhoea and other STIs.
Recommendation
It is worrying that we are seeing antibiotic resistance to some STIs—particularly gonorrhoea, where the rate of diagnoses has reached record levels, and for which young people and other communities at greatest risk are most likely to experience drug resistance. In response to this Report the Government should set out the steps it is taking to develop new antibiotics for the treatment of gonorrhoea, shigella and mycoplasma genitalia, and other relevant STIs, including the level of funding it is providing to support that research. (Paragraph 39) Prevention
Government response summary AI-generated
Despite accepting the recommendation, the government's response focuses on local authorities' commissioning decisions, national prevention campaigns, and funding for the HPE campaign, rather than detailing any steps or funding for the development of new antibiotics for STIs.
Summary of the government's response below — read the verbatim text to verify.
Government Response
Deferred
HM Government · verbatim extract
Deferred
Accept The government accepts this recommendation. We are fully committed to tackling the threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and acknowledge that AMR is a complex issue that requires comprehensive and coordinated action across all sectors domestically and internationally. In January 2019, a 20-year Vision stating that antimicrobial resistance will be contained, controlled, and mitigated by 2040 nationally and globally was published. In order to achieve this, it allocates specific global and national funding to progress research, innovation and partnerships. Through the UK aid fund, Global Antimicrobial Resistance Innovation Fund (GAMRIF), the government supports research and development around the world to reduce the threat of antimicrobial resistance in low–and middle– income countries; increase availability of AMR innovations; establish international research partnerships; and procure additional funding from other global donors. GAMRIF works to fight the growing threat of drug– resistant gonorrhoea, including having developed a novel first–in–class antibiotic, Zoliflodacin. The government also funds research on antibiotics and AMR through the National Institute of Health and Care Research (NIHR), funded by DHSC, and UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), sponsored by the Department for Science Innovation and Technology (DSIT). As the UK’s largest public funder of research and innovation, UKRI has placed significant long–term investment into tackling the threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), as reflected in their strategy and individual council delivery plans for 2022–27. UKRI have provided continuous support for AMR programmes via individual councils’ responsive mode funding schemes, targeted cross-council funding initiatives, and the Joint Programming Initiative on AMR (JPIAMR) through which UKRI has invested over £40m between 2015 and 2023. UKRI continues to build new capability through an active £15m programme via their ‘Tackling Infections’ strategic theme, with eight new AMR research networks awarded £4.8m in 2024 addressing interdisciplinary AMR challenges and a £12m strategic call for programmatic investments in development for launch in 2025. We continue to support the PACE (Pathways to Antimicrobial Clinical Efficacy) initiative, a £30M, 5–year (2023–2028) UK-based programme funded by Innovate UK and LifeArc, delivered in partnership with the Medicines Discovery Catapult. PACE will support a new pipeline of high–quality antimicrobial drugs and associated diagnostics by providing innovative researchers in Academia and SMEs wrap–around support in the form of the funding, resources, partnerships, advice and expertise to accelerate early-stage antimicrobial drug and diagnostics. Over the last five years, NIHR programme funding for AMR has totalled £88 million. The NIHR has recently launched a competition for a new round of Health Protection Research Units—partnerships between the UK Health Security Agency and academia—and will include multidisciplinary research to inform the prevention and control of AMR as well as blood borne and sexually transmitted infections. A total of up to £77 million is available for the NIHR HPRU scheme over a five–year period (starting 1st April 2025). An overview of and NIHR and UKRI’s investments, including total funding allocated, is in the public domain on their respective websites. Specific examples of UKRI-funded research relevant to the Inquiry can be found online via UKRI’s Gateway to Research portal, for example underpinning research investments in Shigella, Gonorrhoea and Mycoplasma genitalium. NIHR funded projects can be found on the Funding and Awards website. For example, NIHR recently supported a randomised control trial of the antibiotic gentamicin as a potential alternative to ceftriaxone in the treatment of gonorrhoea. PREVENTION
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