Kevin Outterson: Antibiotics as Infrastructure

Professor Kevin Outterson (CARB-X, Boston University) will give his lecture “Antibiotics as infrastructure” on 21 May (17.30-18.30, BST) at Imperial College London.

A complimentary drinks reception will be available for guests after the lecture.

Antibiotics are the most important drug class in human history, extraordinarily effective in reducing human misery from bacterial infections. In addition, much of modern medicine depends upon the safety net of antibiotics, which make procedures safer and more effective, like treating cancer or performing surgeries like Cesarian sections, hip and knee replacements, or keyhole surgery. But unlike other drug classes, antibiotics lose effectiveness over time due to bacterial evolution. We need to innovate just to avoid falling behind.

Effective antibiotics are an asset supporting modern civilisation, important in the same way as other important infrastructure investments like clean water and the power grid. But unlike most infrastructure, no one takes responsibility for maintaining this key asset. We lack the political accountability required for success over decades, including planning, funding, and quality improvement.

This talk will explore "antibiotics as infrastructure for civilisation," calling for an appropriate response to protect these valuable assets.

A copy of Professor Outterson's slides can be found here:

Speaker Profile:

Professor Kevin Outterson is the founding Executive Director of CARB-X, the world’s leading public-private partnership that accelerates the early-stage development of innovative products to prevent, diagnose, and treat bacterial infections globally. CARB-X has supported more than 120 R&D projects around the world. 26 of these projects have already reached or surpassed first-in-human clinical trials, including three products already on the market. In 2020, CARB-X was awarded the Innovating for Impact Partnership Award by the Global Health Technologies Coalition (GHTC). CARB-X funders include the governments of the United States (BARDA & NIAID), United Kingdom (GAMRIF), Germany (BMFTR), Italy (MEF), Japan (MHLW), plus Wellcome, the Gates Foundation, the Novo Nordisk Foundation, the European Commission’s DG Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority, and the KfW Development Bank. Prof Outterson is also the Austin B. Fletcher Professor of Law at Boston University, where he co-directs the Health Law Program. Prof Outterson has published ~100 articles and book chapters on health care law, with a focus on incentive problems related to pharmaceutical products, including push and pull incentives for antimicrobials.