UK-based Cystic fibrosis (CF) Syndicate in Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) has announced a £3 million ($3.6 million) Collaborative Discovery Programme for drug discovery innovators to accelerate the development of new treatments for people with CF.
Funded by UK medical research charity LifeArc, the programme will support approximately five collaborative projects that aim to rapidly identify new antimicrobial therapies to treat chronic respiratory infections in people with CF.
Researchers in academia and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) worldwide are eligible to apply, with projects expected to last up to two years, with total funding of up to £500,000 ($611,000) per project.
Applicants must address patients’ priorities for improving treatment set out in the CF AMR Syndicate’s recently-published ‘Target Product Profiles for Antimicrobials’.
Successful applicants can also access expert advice and practical support from managing partners Medicines Discovery Catapult (MDC), LifeArc and Cystic Fibrosis Trust.
Dr Paula Sommer, Head of Research at Cystic Fibrosis Trust, said: “People living with CF are particularly vulnerable to antimicrobial resistance. New antimicrobials that target infections caused by microbes commonly associated with lung infections in CF are urgently needed. We are delighted to announce this funding call aimed at stimulating new research and development into treatments with the potential to benefit people with CF.”
The CF Syndicate in AMR is a cross-sector initiative that brings together leading experts in CF and AMR from industry, academia and the clinic with people with CF to accelerate the translation of CF antimicrobials to the clinic. The Syndicate was established in 2019 and is jointly managed by Medicines Discovery Catapult, Cystic Fibrosis Trust and LifeArc.
Expressions of interest will open on the CF AMR Syndicate website on March 30 and close on May 9 2023.
