No new antibiotics without economic incentives

Leopoldina policy paper on the promotion of new antimicrobial agents published

02/28/2025 | by Friederike Gawlik

A multi-channel pipette is used to dispense liquid samples into a black 384-well microtiter plate. In the foreground, there are multiple small amber glass vials with red-capped lids, containing samples for analysis. — Using a multichannel pipette, solutions of various substances are added to a 384-well microtiter plate. High-throughput technology enables scientists at the Leibniz-HKI to search more quickly for new active compounds in the fight against the antibiotics crisis. © Anna Schroll, Leibniz-HKI

Prof. Dr. Axel Brakhage, Director of the Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology – Hans Knöll Institute (Leibniz-HKI) and Professor of Microbiology and Molecular Biology at the Friedrich Schiller University Jena, has contributed as an expert on human pathogenic fungi to the development of a current policy paper of the German National Academy of Sciences (Leopoldina). The publication makes it clear that economic incentives for the development of new antimicrobial agents are necessary in order to counter the growing threat of antibiotic resistance.

Antibiotics are essential for modern medicine, both for treating acute infections and for preventing infections during operations. However, the increasing number of resistant pathogens makes many common drugs ineffective. According to an analysis published in the journal The Lancet in 2022, around 1.27 million people worldwide died in 2019 as a result of infections with resistant bacteria. According to forecasts by the Leopoldina, up to 39 million deaths a year could be attributable to antibiotic resistance by 2050.

Despite this alarming development, only a few new classes of antimicrobial drugs have been developed since the 1980s, which is partly due to economic hurdles in research and development. The measures presented in the policy paper “Ökonomische Anreize für die Entwicklung neuer antimikrobieller Wirkstoffe” (“Economic incentives for the development of new antimicrobial agents”) are intended to encourage the industry to invest more in new antibiotics. These include a subscription model with guaranteed income, market entry premiums and milestone payments.

Brakhage emphasizes: “The threat posed by resistant pathogens is growing rapidly. Without financial incentives, we will no longer be able to treat many infections in the future.” He therefore supports the call for increased political and economic support for antibiotics research.

The policy paper is based on discussions between the President of the National Academy of Sciences, Prof. Dr. Gerald Haug, and renowned experts from business and science.

The full policy paper is available for download on the Leopoldina website or here (in German):

2025_Leopoldina_FOKUS_Antimikrobielle_Wirkstoffe.pdf (451.1 KiB)