The Combating Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria Biopharmaceutical Accelerator (CARB-X) is a global nonprofit partnership focused on supporting antibacterial research. Its mission is to strengthen the pipeline of therapeutics, diagnostics and preventatives to diagnose and treat life-threatening bacterial infections. CARB-X was launched in summer of 2016 at the
Boston University School of Law, where CARB-X Executive Director Professor
Kevin Outterson teaches health law, corporate law, and co-directs the Health Law Program.
In its first five years, from 2016 to 2021, CARB-X awarded $361 million to 92 projects. In 2022, BARDA and Wellcome renewed committed renewed funding up to an additional $370 million to CARB-X. In addition to awarding non-dilutive funding, CARB-X partners with a Global Accelerator Network (GAN) of experts who offer product developers advice on a range of issues, including drug development, business strategy, policy and regulatory affairs.
Antimicrobial resistance background
Bacteria are constantly evolving to evade death. Even the most powerful "last resort" drugs are becoming less effective due to resistance. Without an arsenal of effective antibiotics to treat infections, modern medical procedures – such as chemotherapy and surgeries – are more risky and put patients' lives at risk. According to the World Health Organization, antimicrobial resistance is a top global health threat, killing 700,000 people annually throughout the world. CARB-X supports projects that are focused on the most dangerous bacteria identified by the World Health Organization (WHO) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) priority lists.
On average, it costs more than $1 billion and takes 1–15 years to develop a new antibiotic for use in patients. A strong economic model to incentivize a steady supply of new antibiotics does not exist. Without enough revenue to recover research and development expenses, small antibiotic companies have been filing for bankruptcy, and large pharmaceutical companies are shuttering their antibiotics divisions. New economic models, support from organizations like CARB-X, and increased investment are needed to drive innovation.
Funding
CARB-X is led by Boston University, and in its first five years, from 2016-2021, it has been funded by three governments and two nonprofit organizations. These include the US Department of Health and Human Services
Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), part of the
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR); the
Wellcome Trust
The Wellcome Trust is a charitable foundation focused on health research based in London, in the United Kingdom. It was established in 1936 with legacies from the pharmaceutical magnate Henry Wellcome (founder of one of the predecessors of Glax ...
Germany's Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) th
UK Government's Global Antimicrobial Resistance Innovation Fund (UK GAMRIF) and the
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), a merging of the William H. Gates Foundation and the Gates Learning Foundation, is an American private foundation founded by Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates. Based in Seattle, Washington, it w ...
. CARB-X also receives in-kind support from the
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the US
National Institutes of Health
The National Institutes of Health, commonly referred to as NIH (with each letter pronounced individually), is the primary agency of the United States government
The federal government of the United States (U.S. federal government or U ...
(NIH).
References
External links
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Non-profit corporations
Partnerships
Boston University School of Law
Antimicrobial resistance organizations
Funding bodies
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