Last week, CSO Mat Upton and CEO Gordon Barker travelled to Basel, Switzerland for the BEAM Alliance 10th AMR meeting. Read on for some of Mat’s thoughts on a productive and thought provoking trip…
10th AMR conference, Basel
Gordon and I were back in Basel last week for the annual AMR meeting. These meetings always offer Amprologix some excellent networking sessions, and a chance to establish links with potential new collaborators, so it was particularly exciting to be part of it this year for the 10th anniversary.
Over the last 10 years there have been some major milestones in the AMR field, and it was great to be reminded of these achievements in the opening sessions:
- Publication of the O’Neill Report
- Foundation of the BEAM Alliance
- Formation of Carb-X
- Two UN General Assembly meetings on AMR
- Introduction of multiple EU funding schemes to support SMEs working in antimicrobial development
In a field that can often seem like doom and gloom is the only forecast, these achievements were a genuine reminder of the progress that has been made in the AMR community, and really set the tone for a more positive outlook.
Highs and lows in antimicrobial development
One particularly thought provoking moment for me was hearing from Evan Loh of Paratek Pharma, as he spoke about the highs and lows of bringing an antibiotic to market. Although sobering in places – the financial realities particularly resonated – this was ultimately an inspiring story that really hit home for me and Gordon as we continue to push forward with our own antimicrobial development pipeline.
Running the Dreiläenderlauf
After a busy first day of sessions, I decided the best way to prep before day 2 was to take an early morning run along part of the Dreiläenderlauf route, managing to take in Switzerland, Germany and France in a stunning 10km loop along both sides of the Rhine. I highly recommend this to anyone who finds themselves in Basel (and yes I was relieved to discover it was very flat!).
Looking to the future
To wrap up the meeting, another great discussion panel featuring Dame Sally Davies looked towards the next decade. Despite the clear and significant challenges that had been laid out to us across the full scope of funding, policy, discovery, stewardship, and diagnostics, there was an overall feeling of optimism. Alex Tasker of the University of Bristol summed it up well for me, emphasising the need for us all to think about collaboration and new ways to address AMR together.
Meetings such as these are a stark reminder that the job of getting new antimicrobials to market is not getting much easier. No one can predict who will be recounting their own tales of wins and losses over the next 10 years. However, based on the presentations, discussion, and general energy and motivation demonstrated throughout the meeting, I truly believe that by the time we get to the 20th meeting in 2036, some of the companies present will have achieved success. This progress is vital for much needed emerging solutions to have an impact on AMR.
What's coming up for Amprologix?
Inspired by a successful meeting and looking forward to the more immediate future, the Amprologix team is already planning for ESCMID Global 2026 in Munich this April! We would love to reconnect with familiar faces from Basel and meet plenty of new ones too. Please get in touch if you want to set up a meeting.
