Correspondence
Mahaveer Golechha [email protected] Health Economics and Financing Unit, Public Health Foundation of India, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi, DL 110070, India 1
2
3
4
For New Drugs For Bad Bugs see http://www.imi.europa.eu/ content/nd4bb
5
6
Sachan D. New government gears up for India’s health challenges. Lancet 2014; 383: 2112. Sachan D. Health gets greater attention in the 2014 Indian elections. Lancet 2014; 383: 1281–82. Planning Commission for India. High level expert group report on universal health coverage for India. 2011. http:// planningcommission.nic.in/reports/genrep/ rep_uhc0812.pdf (accessed May 30, 2014). Marten R, McIntyre D, Travassos C, et al. An assessment of progress towards universal health coverage in Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa (BRICS). Lancet 2014; published online April 30. http://dx.doi. org/10.1016/S0140-6736(14)60075-1. Golechha M. Priorities for the next Indian government’s reform of healthcare. BMJ 2014; 348: g2733. Narayan R. Universal health care in India: missing core determinants. Lancet 2011; 377: 883–85.
Funding for antimicrobial resistance research in Europe The growing problem of antimicrobial resistance needs urgent action with a conc erted and global approach. The 2014 World Health Assembly passed a resolution requiring the WHO Secretariat to develop and submit a draft action plan on global antimicrobial resistance to the 2015 Assembly.1 In Europe, the European Commission has prioritised research to combat antimicrobial resistance since 1999 and this strong commitment continues in Horizon 2020. Nearly €800 million has been awarded to transnational collaborative projects for antimicrobial resistance, in areas that affect not only human health but also animal health, food, and the environment. Seven projects launched in 2013 specifically harness the innovative potential of small and medium enterprises to develop novel antibiotics, vaccines, or alternative treatments for drug-resistant 1186
microbial infections. Another eight projects identify better methods to use available antibiotics, study antimicrobial resistance in the food chain, or use nanotechnology to deliver antimicrobial drugs.2 A further funding instrument to rejuvenate the antimicrobial pipeline is the Innovative Medicines Initiative, a public–private partnership set up by the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations and the European Union (EU). In 2012, the Innovative Medicines Initiative launched a large programme called New Drugs For Bad Bugs. New Drugs For Bad Bugs provides a framework for collaboration between experts from small and large biopharmaceutical companies, academia, and regulators, enabling project partners to share data, pool resources, and exchange expertise. 3 So far, the initiative has invested about €380 million into this programme, of which the pharmaceutical industry contributed €165 million; more projects are in development. As an addition to its arsenal of funding instruments, in 2015 the EU will launch an inducement prize for the development of a rapid point-of-care test to identify patients with upper respiratory tract infections who can be safely treated without antibiotics.4 Together with EU member states and international partners, the European Commission is committed to drive the global research agenda and to help to implement innovative partnerships and financing to address antimicrobial resistance. I declare no competing interests.
Máire Geoghegan-Quinn cab-geoghegan-quinn-contact@ ec.europa.eu European Commission, Berlaymont Building, Brussels 1049, Belgium 1
WHO. Draft Global action plan on antimicrobial resistance, 2014. http://www. who.int/drugresistance/amr_global_action_ plan/en/ (accessed Aug 8, 2014).
2
3
4
European Commission. EU launches new research projects to combat anti-microbial resistance. Nov 15, 2013. http://europa.eu/ rapid/press-release_MEMO-13-996_en. htm?locale=en (accessed Aug 8, 2014). Rex JH. ND4BB: addressing the antimicrobial resistance crisis. In comment. Nat Rev Microbiol 2014; 12: 231–32. European Commission. First Horizon 2020 Work Programme update—launch of FTI and innovation prizes. July 22, 2014. http://europa. eu/rapid/press-release_MEMO-14-492_en. htm (accessed Aug 8, 2014).
Department of Error Liu P, Guo Y, Qian X, et al. China’s distinctive engagement in global health. Lancet 2014; 384: 793–804—In figure 5 of this Review (Aug 30), the last line of the figure legend should read “Traditional Chinese Medicine with scholarships.” The last sentence of page 794 should end with “…Latin America receiving around 13%, before the end of 2009”. Additionally, on page 795, line 34, “42 of the teams” should read “42 of the countries”, and on page 800, reference 61 at the end of “isolation and identification” should be reference 34. These corrections have been made to the online version as of Sept 26, 2014. PD MED Collaborative Group. Long-term effectiveness of dopamine agonists and monoamine oxidase B inhibitors compared with levodopa as initial treatment for Parkinson’s disease (PD MED): a large, open-label, pragmatic randomised trial. Lancet 2014; 384: 1196–205— On page 6 of the Article (June 11), the first line of the Discussion should read ‘‘Generally, levodopa is accepted to provide better short-term control of the motor symptoms of newly diagnosed Parkinson’s disease and fewer side-effects than do dopamine agonists or MAOBIs, but motor complications are increased (panel)”. Members of the UK PED MED Collaborative Group have also been updated. These corrections have been made to the online version as of Sept 26, 2014, and the printed Article is correct. Newby LK, Marber MS, Melloni C, et al, on behalf of the SOLSTICE Investigators. Losmapimod, a novel p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase inhibitor, in non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction: a randomised phase 2 trial. Lancet 2014; 384: 1187–95—In this Article, a footnote has been added to the author line to show senior authorship. These corrections have been made to the online version as of Sept 26, 2014, and the printed Article is correct.
www.thelancet.com Vol 384 September 27, 2014
Mahaveer Golechha [email protected] Health Economics and Financing Unit, Public Health Foundation of India, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi, DL 110070, India 1
2
3
4
For New Drugs For Bad Bugs see http://www.imi.europa.eu/ content/nd4bb
5
6
Sachan D. New government gears up for India’s health challenges. Lancet 2014; 383: 2112. Sachan D. Health gets greater attention in the 2014 Indian elections. Lancet 2014; 383: 1281–82. Planning Commission for India. High level expert group report on universal health coverage for India. 2011. http:// planningcommission.nic.in/reports/genrep/ rep_uhc0812.pdf (accessed May 30, 2014). Marten R, McIntyre D, Travassos C, et al. An assessment of progress towards universal health coverage in Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa (BRICS). Lancet 2014; published online April 30. http://dx.doi. org/10.1016/S0140-6736(14)60075-1. Golechha M. Priorities for the next Indian government’s reform of healthcare. BMJ 2014; 348: g2733. Narayan R. Universal health care in India: missing core determinants. Lancet 2011; 377: 883–85.
Funding for antimicrobial resistance research in Europe The growing problem of antimicrobial resistance needs urgent action with a conc erted and global approach. The 2014 World Health Assembly passed a resolution requiring the WHO Secretariat to develop and submit a draft action plan on global antimicrobial resistance to the 2015 Assembly.1 In Europe, the European Commission has prioritised research to combat antimicrobial resistance since 1999 and this strong commitment continues in Horizon 2020. Nearly €800 million has been awarded to transnational collaborative projects for antimicrobial resistance, in areas that affect not only human health but also animal health, food, and the environment. Seven projects launched in 2013 specifically harness the innovative potential of small and medium enterprises to develop novel antibiotics, vaccines, or alternative treatments for drug-resistant 1186
microbial infections. Another eight projects identify better methods to use available antibiotics, study antimicrobial resistance in the food chain, or use nanotechnology to deliver antimicrobial drugs.2 A further funding instrument to rejuvenate the antimicrobial pipeline is the Innovative Medicines Initiative, a public–private partnership set up by the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations and the European Union (EU). In 2012, the Innovative Medicines Initiative launched a large programme called New Drugs For Bad Bugs. New Drugs For Bad Bugs provides a framework for collaboration between experts from small and large biopharmaceutical companies, academia, and regulators, enabling project partners to share data, pool resources, and exchange expertise. 3 So far, the initiative has invested about €380 million into this programme, of which the pharmaceutical industry contributed €165 million; more projects are in development. As an addition to its arsenal of funding instruments, in 2015 the EU will launch an inducement prize for the development of a rapid point-of-care test to identify patients with upper respiratory tract infections who can be safely treated without antibiotics.4 Together with EU member states and international partners, the European Commission is committed to drive the global research agenda and to help to implement innovative partnerships and financing to address antimicrobial resistance. I declare no competing interests.
Máire Geoghegan-Quinn cab-geoghegan-quinn-contact@ ec.europa.eu European Commission, Berlaymont Building, Brussels 1049, Belgium 1
WHO. Draft Global action plan on antimicrobial resistance, 2014. http://www. who.int/drugresistance/amr_global_action_ plan/en/ (accessed Aug 8, 2014).
2
3
4
European Commission. EU launches new research projects to combat anti-microbial resistance. Nov 15, 2013. http://europa.eu/ rapid/press-release_MEMO-13-996_en. htm?locale=en (accessed Aug 8, 2014). Rex JH. ND4BB: addressing the antimicrobial resistance crisis. In comment. Nat Rev Microbiol 2014; 12: 231–32. European Commission. First Horizon 2020 Work Programme update—launch of FTI and innovation prizes. July 22, 2014. http://europa. eu/rapid/press-release_MEMO-14-492_en. htm (accessed Aug 8, 2014).
Department of Error Liu P, Guo Y, Qian X, et al. China’s distinctive engagement in global health. Lancet 2014; 384: 793–804—In figure 5 of this Review (Aug 30), the last line of the figure legend should read “Traditional Chinese Medicine with scholarships.” The last sentence of page 794 should end with “…Latin America receiving around 13%, before the end of 2009”. Additionally, on page 795, line 34, “42 of the teams” should read “42 of the countries”, and on page 800, reference 61 at the end of “isolation and identification” should be reference 34. These corrections have been made to the online version as of Sept 26, 2014. PD MED Collaborative Group. Long-term effectiveness of dopamine agonists and monoamine oxidase B inhibitors compared with levodopa as initial treatment for Parkinson’s disease (PD MED): a large, open-label, pragmatic randomised trial. Lancet 2014; 384: 1196–205— On page 6 of the Article (June 11), the first line of the Discussion should read ‘‘Generally, levodopa is accepted to provide better short-term control of the motor symptoms of newly diagnosed Parkinson’s disease and fewer side-effects than do dopamine agonists or MAOBIs, but motor complications are increased (panel)”. Members of the UK PED MED Collaborative Group have also been updated. These corrections have been made to the online version as of Sept 26, 2014, and the printed Article is correct. Newby LK, Marber MS, Melloni C, et al, on behalf of the SOLSTICE Investigators. Losmapimod, a novel p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase inhibitor, in non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction: a randomised phase 2 trial. Lancet 2014; 384: 1187–95—In this Article, a footnote has been added to the author line to show senior authorship. These corrections have been made to the online version as of Sept 26, 2014, and the printed Article is correct.
www.thelancet.com Vol 384 September 27, 2014
