From the Nobel Prize to now: building a legacy of discovery to tackle antimicrobial resistance

Eighty years after the Nobel Prize was awarded for the discovery and development of penicillin, global leaders in science, policy, and industry gathered at the Royal Society of Medicine on 18 November to honour that legacy and confront one of the greatest health threats today- antimicrobial resistance.

In 1945, penicillin antibiotics became widely available to the public for the first time. Infections like gonorrhoea, pneumonia and tuberculosis that used to be fatal became treatable. However, due to the rise of antimicrobial resistance, one in six common bacterial infections in 2023 were resistant to antibiotics.

Hosted jointly by the Fleming Initiative (Imperial College London & Imperial College NHS Trust), the Ineos Oxford Institute for antimicrobial research (Oxford University) and GSK, the event paid tribute to the pioneering work of Sir Alexander Fleming, who discovered penicillium mould in his laboratory at St Mary’s Hospital (now part of Imperial College London); and to Sir Ernst Chain and Lord Howard Florey, who isolated and purified it for clinical use in Oxford. Large scale production of penicillin was possible due to funding from the US government and the industrial capabilities of companies such as Glaxo (now GSK).

Speakers emphasised that the same spirit of collaboration that led to the successful development of antibiotics in the 1940’s is urgently needed again to tackle AMR.

The event brought together scientists, communicators, business leaders, and policymakers to explore new approaches across three central themes essential to tackling AMR: communication, science, and policy.

• Creatively engaging society on AMR: despite being a major global health threat, public awareness of AMR remains low. A panel of authors, GPs, artists and film directors including Dr Raj Arora (GP and Healthcare educator), Sara Kenney (writer and producer of Surgeon X), Graham Richardson (science communicator and cast member of Lifeline the Musical), and Alex Tweddle (director of AMR: Dying to Change the World) showcased how they’re using storytelling and creative media to engage members of the public on AMR.

  
  

• The next frontiers in AMR: chaired by health journalist Misbah Khan, Professor Helen McShane (University of Oxford), Dr Jonathan Golob (GSK), and Dr Tim Rawson (Fleming Initiative) discussed the role of vaccines, diagnostics, and artificial intelligence in preventing the spread of antimicrobial resistance.

  
  

• Keeping AMR in the political & financial consciousness: moderated by Kat Lay of The Guardian, this panel featured Dr Danny Chambers MP, Maria Larsson Ortino (Legal & General Investment Management), James Anderson (IFPMA), and Professor Tim Walsh (Ineos Oxford Institute for antimicrobial research). Together, they examined how to keep AMR high on the political and financial agenda and called for sustained cross-sector collaboration linking health, climate change, global security, and investment priorities.

The event was attended by over 100 people, including researchers, policymakers, business leaders, and philanthropists, reflecting the growing momentum behind global efforts to tackle antimicrobial resistance.

Pofessor Lord Ara Darzi, Executive Chair of the Fleming Initiative, said in his opening remarks, “Penicillin’s power was forged not in a single lab, but in a chain of partnership… this is the legacy we are here to champion. The Fleming Initiative has taken the theme for World Antimicrobial Awareness Week as our charge - let us protect our present, through science and collaboration, and together secure our future.”

Dr David Sweetnam, orthopaedic surgeon and Chair of the IOI Advisory Board, said, “This isn’t just about preserving antibiotics, it’s about preserving the future of medicine itself. The next 80 years can be marked by resistance and loss, or by renewal and collaboration. Let’s choose the latter.

“At the Ineos Oxford Institute, we’re working to make that renewal possible. We are discovering new antibiotics, developing strategies to extend the life of existing drugs, and ensuring that stewardship and access go hand in hand.”

David Payne, Vice President and Head of Infectious Diseases Research, GSK said, “At GSK, we’re building on our 70-year legacy of innovating in infectious disease, turning science and technology into medicines and vaccines to get ahead of AMR. Our pipeline is one of the largest and most diverse in the industry, with over 30 projects that could help address AMR, 12 of which target pathogens identified as ‘critical’ or ‘urgent’ by WHO and US CDC.

“But we need to do more collectively to address the economic challenges and work across industry and academia.  Only through sharing resources, expertise and new ideas, attracting the leading new talent and applying the best that technology has to offer can we hope to stay ahead of resistant pathogens.” 

Reflecting on the evening's programme, Prof. Alison Holmes, Director of the Fleming Initiative, said, “It was a real pleasure to be in the room with many of the brightest minds working on AMR across science and industry, politics, and creative communications. It was fantastic to see our guests leaving the event with new connections, new ideas, and renewed purpose. I look forward to the innovations to come.”

The Fleming Initiative, the Ineos Oxford Institute for antimicrobial research (IOI), and GSK are carrying forward the legacy of penicillin by developing new solutions to tackle AMR.

Photos courtesy of Andy Pritchard, Imperial College London