Aims

Control of AMR needs actions addressing issues at human, animal and environmental levels, according to an approach usually referred to as "One Health". Following publication of the WHO Global priority list of antibiotic-resistant bacteria (including Mycobacterium tuberculosis multi-and extensively drug resistant)[1], the JPIAMR is launching a joint transnational call with the aim to discover new targets, compounds and tools with the potential to help controlling diseases caused by resistant bacteria from the above-mentioned WHO pathogen list in human, animal or environmental settings.

Projects considered for funding will involve fundamental and/or translational research, with the exception of clinical trials.

Scope of the Call

The proposal can address the following topics:

• New targets

Studies of new bacterial targets or mechanisms of resistance (examples include studies on novel enzyme or efflux pump inhibitors or others), including studies aimed at understanding and overcoming the mechanisms controlling the generation of resistance.

• New therapies:

- Studies of new compounds (including new antibiotics and alternatives).

- Strategies to inhibit or reduce the acquisition of resistance, such as single molecular agents effective against multiple targets as well as therapeutics that enhance immune-mediated pathogen elimination, disrupt colonisation or biofilm development, and reduce virulence.

-Discovery and implementation of novel therapies to overcome known antimicrobial resistance mechanisms and/or to restore susceptibility to conventional antibiotics.

- Re-evaluation of existing anti-microbial compounds in the context of their combination with new, innovative targets, compounds or tools.

• New tools/assays:

-Strategies and/or innovative tools or assays that improve, enhance, and/or facilitate the identification or validation of new effective compounds or therapies.
-Strategies and/or innovative tools for optimization of drug use, dosage and delivery of new drugs.
-Exploration of bacterial genes e.g. expression of latent gene clusters

The following sub-topics are not within the scope of the call:

• Investigations addressing cross-talk between the host and pathogen, as well as the relationship between microbes, environment and infection;
• Studies on bacteria not in the WHO Global priority1;
• Investigations on the initial steps of the infection process;
• Investigations based on, or involving, clinical trials.

1)

http://www.who.int/medicines/areas/rational_use/PPLreport_2017_09_19.pdf?ua=1

Pathogenes Included in the Call:

1.PRIORITY CRITICAL Acinetobacter baumannii, carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa, carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (including Klebsiella pneumoniae, Escherichia coli, Enterobacter spp., Serratia spp., Proteus spp., and Providencia spp, Morganella spp.), carbapenemresistant, 3rd generation cephalosporin-resistant

2: PRIORITY HIGH Enterococcus faecium, vancomycin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, methicillin-resistant, vancomycin intermediate and resistant Helicobacter pylori, clarithromycin-resistant Campylobacter, fluoroquinolone-resistant Salmonella spp., fluoroquinolone-resistant Neisseria gonorrhoeae, 3rd generation cephalosporinresistant, fluoroquinolone-resistant PRIORITY

3: PRIORITY MEDIUM Streptococcus pneumoniae, penicillin-non-susceptible Haemophilus influenzae, ampicillin-resistant Shigella spp., fluoroquinolone-resistant Studies involving multi- and extensively drug resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis, that is also included on the WHO priority pathogen list, are eligible in this call.

Expected time line

Participating Countries

Belgium, Czech Republik, Egypt, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Latvia, Norway, Poland, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland

List is provisional – additional countries may join.

Eligibility

Applicants must adhere to the specific regulations of the national funding organisations. Eligibility rules for the consortia are:

• Minimum of three (3) eligible partners from three (3) different countries participating in the call.
• Maximum of six (6) project partners. However, consortia including partners from Czech Republic, Latvia or Poland may increase the total number of partners to seven (7), in order to increase representation of these countries in JPIAMR projects.
• Maximum number of partners from each participating country per project is limited to one partner for Italy and Latvia and to two partners for other participating countries. For Belgium this is limited to one partner per region/community, which in practice comes down to one partner per participating Belgian funding agency.

More info at

https://www.jpiamr.eu/6thcall/