The Gr-ADI will function as a consortium where multiple funders, research institutions, and industry partners share data and work collectively to drive innovation in the discovery of urgently needed new drugs.

Bacterial AMR occurs when bacteria no longer respond to the antibiotics developed to combat them. This undermines the foundation of modern medicine by turning common infections and everyday procedures into potentially life-threatening situations.

“Bacterial AMR is such a significant global health issue that we must speed up innovation and try new ways of working together,” says Marianne Holm, Vice President, Infectious diseases at the Novo Nordisk Foundation.

Marianne Holm, Vice President Infectious diseases, the Novo Nordisk Foundation

“Through the Gr-ADI program, grant recipients will not only focus on their individual projects but will also become integral members of a consortium dedicated to data sharing, with a focus on specific Gram-negative bacteria. For many researchers involved in this program, it will be a new way of working, but we believe that it can make a big difference as we search for new discoveries,” adds Holm.

A request for proposals

Projects funded through the Gr-ADI will be selected by the partners through a request for proposals (RFP) that leverages the Gates Foundation’s Grand Challenges platform.

The focus of this RFP will be on the discovery of antibiotics with broad spectrum activity against Enterobacteriaceae, the Gram-negative family of bacteria that includes Klebsiella spp., which is the pathogen that should be used in proposed projects. Enterobacteriaceae are included on the World Health Organization’s list of critical priority pathogens and are among the leading contributors to global AMR-associated deaths, disproportionately impacting people living in low- and middle-income countries where the drivers of AMR are exacerbated by poverty and inequality.

The call for proposals will close on March 25, 2025. Researchers, particularly from countries where AMR poses a serious threat, are encouraged to submit a proposal for the Gram-Negative Antibiotic Discovery Innovator here.

Global health R&D partnership 

The Gr-ADI is the first investment of the USD 300 million launched global health R&D partnership by these three philanthropic organisations last year.

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