“We’ve built the antibiotic innovation pipeline together. If one part of it weakens or disappears, the entire pipeline is at risk.”
That was one of the key messages emerging from the Fourth Working Session of the Parliamentary Group against Antimicrobial Resistance (PKAMR), held on 11 June 2026 at the German Bundestag.
Developing a new antibiotic is a long and complex journey. It begins with scientific discovery and laboratory research before progressing through multiple stages of clinical testing. Only after successfully completing each of these steps can a new antibiotic reach patients. When funding gaps, scientific setbacks, or manufacturing challenges interrupt this process, potentially life-saving innovations may never make it to the people who need them.
Chaired by Dr. Franziska Kersten, Member of the German Bundestag (SPD), the meeting brought together policymakers, researchers, industry representatives, and other stakeholders to discuss how Germany can strengthen innovation and manufacturing capacity across the entire antibiotic value chain, from research and financing to production and supply security.
Participants explored several important questions, including why too few new antibiotics reach practical use, what political and economic framework conditions are needed to foster innovation, and how Germany can strengthen its competitiveness as a location for pharmaceutical research and manufacturing.
The Global AMR R&D Hub was represented by Dr. Ralf Sudbrak, who reiterated the importance of securing the antibiotic R&D pipeline through sustained investment and coordinated action across the innovation ecosystem.
The Hub thanks the Parliamentary Group against AMR, the German Network against Antimicrobial Resistance (DNAMR), and all speakers for an insightful discussion on safeguarding the future of antibiotic innovation.
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