Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to support small UK companies which are researching and trying to produce new antibiotics, in particular through the use of market entry rewards.

The Government has invested in a range of research to address antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Specific investments aimed at small and medium sized enterprises include a competition call worth £4 million in 2016/17 launched by Innovate UK to reinvigorate AMR research and innovation networks in the United Kingdom. This call particularly focused on the need for collaborative working with industry, including small and medium sized enterprises, to bring products to market. The UK is also spending £50 million in a Global AMR Innovation Fund which aims to invest in global research and development for the benefit of people living in low- and middle-income countries. As part of this, it will consider how to provide access to finance for those researchers who struggle to access traditional funding sources, including small and medium sized enterprises.

In response to the independent review on AMR chaired by Lord O’Neill, the Government committed to strengthening support for market entry rewards in international fora including the G7 and G20 to address market failure in antibiotics. The Department is currently working through the G20 to make tangible progress in developing market incentives.