ABPI response to guidance on the value of new antibiotics

The Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry has welcomed the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence's leadership in introducing a new approach to the evaluation of antibiotics.

Commenting on the announcement of the new draft guidance, Richard Torbett, Chief Executive of the ABPI said:

“This is an important milestone in the UK’s global leadership on AMR.

"Antibiotics underpin modern medicine, but the increasing threat of antibiotic resistance remains one of the biggest global health challenges we face. 

"To tackle this, it is critical that the appropriate frameworks are in place for companies to invest the billions of pounds required to discover the new antibiotics needed for patients.

"We acknowledge the difficulties of generating evidence on the broader public health benefits that antibiotics bring to patients, but it is essential these are fully captured in evaluation frameworks. 

"Rapid progress is needed to establish a permanent evaluation and reimbursement approach and deliver the incentives needed to develop these important medicines.

"Only then will patients across the whole UK be confident that they can access effective antibiotics now and into the future.”