PACE: A £30 million collaborative initiative to tackle antimicrobial resistance
We have partnered with Innovate UK and Medicines Discovery Catapult to launch PACE, an initiative to accelerate innovation in antimicrobial resistance (AMR) research and develop life-saving tests and treatments.
Overview
The speed and success of new treatments is often hampered by financial, regulatory, and technical obstacles. LifeArc and Innovate UK have each invested £15 million into PACE and will collaborate with Medicines Discovery Catapult to deliver the initiative. PACE aims to make it easier for scientists and businesses to stay ahead by:
- removing barriers to innovation and connecting the AMR ecosystem
- offering wrap-around support – advice, expertise, and support to market – alongside funding
- making it much easier to progress novel solutions, therefore increasing the number of available tests and treatments in development to address AMR
By developing solutions for the most threatening and resistant microbes and driving these towards clinical trials and eventual patient impact, PACE will serve as a significant contributor to the global fight against AMR.
Antibacterial therapeutics funding round
As part of PACE’s first funding call, the 2023 antibacterial therapeutics funding round focused on supporting early-stage, novel antibacterial therapeutics aimed at treating bacterial infections with high unmet needs. Selected projects received up to £1 million in grant funding for a duration of up to two years.
Diagnostics funding round
In 2024, PACE launched its second funding round, offering up to £5 million to support early-stage diagnostic projects. This funding round focuses on the development of innovative in vitro diagnostics aimed at improving the speed and precision of infection diagnosis, reducing inappropriate antibiotic use, and enabling more targeted treatments. Up to eight projects will receive awards ranging from £300,000 to £1 million, helping drive forward much-needed diagnostic solutions to combat AMR.
What is antimicrobial resistance?
AMR is a global health crisis in which bacteria and other pathogens evolve to resist current treatments, making infections harder to treat. According to the latest research, more than 39 million people are expected to die from antimicrobial resistance (AMR) between now and 2050. Despite the severity of the threat, there are not enough new drugs in development to combat this rising resistance. A significant portion of the antibiotics used today were discovered in the 1950s, and there has been only one new class discovered since the 1980s.
To find out more, visit https://paceamr.org.uk/
Want to know more?
Get in touch with the team using the form below.
Contact us
In submitting your personal data via this form, you consent to being contacted via the details provided so that your enquiry can be responded to. If you would like your data to be removed, please email info@lifearc.org.
Please see our Privacy Policy in relation to the personal data you submit to us through this page.
