Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a major threat to public health, causing 670 000 infections and over 33 000 deaths in Europe alone in 2015. So-called Gram-negative bacteria are particularly tough to treat, as they are encased in a tough outer membrane which effectively stops many antibiotics from getting into the bacteria and killing it. The GNA NOW project aims to address the urgent need for new antibiotics to treat Gram-negative infections by attacking the bacteria in new and different ways. The team will run three programmes in parallel, each focusing on a different drug candidate with an innovative mode of action. All drug candidates will undergo a range of tests to ensure their safety and efficacy and to understand and optimise how they work. The project hopes to complete phase 1 clinical trials for at least one candidate, and advance at least one more to the stage where it is ready to enter clinical trials.
GNA NOW is part of the IMI AMR Accelerator Programme.