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BactiVac funded to develop bacterial vaccines in global fight against antimicrobial resistance

The University of Birmingham-hosted BactiVac Network secures major funding to accelerate the development of bacterial vaccines.

28 September 2023
A pair of hands in medical gloves administers and injection to a patient's arm

The UK government has awarded the University of Birmingham-hosted Bacterial Vaccines Network (BactiVac) £1.4 million in funding to accelerate the development of bacterial vaccines in a bid to prevent infections from occurring as part of the global fight against antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Bacterial vaccines play a critical role in the fight against AMR, both through preventing infections from developing and reducing the need to use antimicrobials.

The Global AMR Innovation Fund (GAMRIF) funding programme sits within the Department of Health and Social Care, and is a UK aid fund that supports research and development around the world to reduce the threat of AMR in humans, animals and the environment for the benefit of people in low-and middle-income counties (LMICs).

This latest funding follows GAMRIF’s initial £1.4 million award in 2019. Both funding awards are part of the UK’s 20-year vision and five-year (2019-2024) AMR national action plan.

The second phase of GAMRIF funding will enable BactiVac to continue diversifying the current pipeline of vaccine development projects and increase collaborations between researchers from LMICs and the UK. It will also support additional Network activities primarily aimed at enabling the equity of access for LMIC members. These activities will continue to promote collaboration across the membership, particularly for members based in LMICs.

We are extremely grateful to be partnering with GAMRIF. There is clear synergy between our organisations and the support provided by GAMRIF is vital for delivering BactiVac’s objective of advancing vaccines against bacterial pathogens and AMR.

Professor Calman MacLennan, Director of BactiVac

Professor Calman MacLennan, Director of BactiVac, commented: “We are extremely grateful to be partnering with GAMRIF. There is clear synergy between our organisations and the support provided by GAMRIF is vital for delivering BactiVac’s objective of advancing vaccines against bacterial pathogens and AMR.”

I am absolutely delighted that GAMRIF continues to support the ongoing work of BactiVac. By advancing bacterial vaccines, the Network plays a key role in the global fight against antimicrobial resistance.

Professor Dame Sally Davies, UK’s first Special Envoy on AMR since 2019

Professor Dame Sally Davies, UK’s first Special Envoy on AMR since 2019, commented: “I am absolutely delighted that GAMRIF continues to support the ongoing work of BactiVac. By advancing bacterial vaccines, the Network plays a key role in the global fight against antimicrobial resistance.”

In January 2022, the Global burden of bacterial antimicrobial resistance paper was published in the Lancet. Based on estimates across 204 countries and territories, the paper provides the most comprehensive estimates of the global impact of AMR to date.

The research reveals that AMR has now become a leading cause of death globally, with an estimated 1.3 million deaths attributable to bacterial AMR and 5 million deaths associated with bacterial AMR in 2019. 

Professor Adam Cunningham, Co-Director of BactiVac, Professor of Functional Immunity commented: “GAMRIF supports strategies to tackle AMR and bacterial vaccines play a key role in this by preventing bacterial diseases from developing, removing the need to use antimicrobials and reduce opportunities for AMR to develop. This is a key reason why the partnership between GAMRIF and BactiVac is so important for controlling AMR.”

BactiVac delivers a large portfolio of catalyst projects by bringing together academic and industry partners from the UK, other high-income countries and LMICs. The Network has a ‘One Health’ approach, delivering activities that target bacterial diseases in both humans and animals that can lead to the emergence and spread of AMR and pose a significant threat to human and animal health. 

BactiVac Network DHSC GAMRIF funding announcement

BactiVac Network DHSC GAMRIF funding announcement

Transcript

Professor Cal MacLennan

Here at BactiVac, the bacterial vaccines network, we’ve been privileged to partner over the past five years with DHSE, the Department of Health and Social Care, and GAMRIF, the Global AMR Innovation Fund, for the development of bacterial vaccines of human and animal importance.

Today, we’re excited to announce further new funding for Phase Two of BactiVac to complement funding that we’ve already received from Wellcome. This will support further catalyst projects [and] other network activities to promote equity of access for members from low- and middle-income countries. And support for communications and advocacy around vaccines to combat antimicrobial resistance.

BactiVac delivers a large portfolio of catalyst projects by bringing together academic and industry partners from the UK, other high-income countries and LMICs. The Network has a ‘One Health’ approach, delivering activities that target bacterial diseases in both humans and animals that can lead to the emergence and spread of AMR and pose a significant threat to human and animal health. Contact the team to find out more.

Notes for editors

For more information, please contact Tony Moran, International Communications Manager, University of Birmingham on +44 (0)7827 832 312. For out-of-hours enquiries, please call +44 (0) 7789 921 165.

The University of Birmingham is ranked amongst the world’s top 100 institutions, its work brings people from across the world to Birmingham, including researchers and teachers and more than 8,000 international students from over 150 countries.

GAMRIF, a £50m UK aid investment, was established to provide seed funding for innovative research and development, specifically in neglected and underinvested areas which benefits people in LMICs. The Fund takes a ‘One Health’ approach, seeking to invest in potential solutions to reduce the threat of AMR in humans, animals, aquatic life, and the environment. It seeks to leverage additional global funding through interaction with international government bodies, public-private partnerships, product development partnerships, global funding mechanisms and global fora.

GAMRIF's core objectives are to:

  • Develop innovative One Health solutions to tackle AMR
  • Increase availability of context-specific, accessible, and affordable innovations for LMICs
  • Establish international research partnerships with industry, academia, and governments
  • Collaborate with and leverage additional funding from other global donors 

Featured staff

  • Professor Adam Cunningham

    Professor of Functional Immunity

    Staff profile for Professor Adam Cunningham who is Professor of Functional Immunity within the Institute of Immunology and Infection at the University of Birmingham.

    Phone: +44 (0)121 414 4068
    Email: a.f.cunningham@bham.ac.uk

  • Professor Calman A. MacLennan

    Director of BactiVac, the Bacterial Vaccines Network

    Staff profile of Professor Calman A. MacLennan, Institute of Immunology and Immunotherapy, University of Birmingham.

    Phone: +44 (0)121 414 6973
    Email: bactivac@contacts.bham.ac.uk

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