---
title: "NHS Launches Antibiotic Subscription Scheme with Pharmaceutical Industry"
publisher: "Stockmark.IT"
author: "Stockmark.IT Website"
published: "2024-08-14T06:00:27+00:00"
modified: "2024-08-13T11:12:25+00:00"
date: 2024-08-14
canonical: "https://stockmark.it/nhs-launches-antibiotic-subscription-scheme-with-pharmaceutical-industry/"
category: "NHS"
categories: ["NHS", "Pharmaceutical"]
image: "https://i0.wp.com/stockmark.it/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/nhs-sm.jpg?fit=480%2C270&quality=89&ssl=1"
format: "news"
language: "en-GB"
---

# NHS Launches Antibiotic Subscription Scheme with Pharmaceutical Industry

**Published:** August 14, 2024
**Author:** Stockmark.IT Website
**Categories:** NHS, Pharmaceutical
**Featured image:** ![A large NHS lorry with red and white signage reading “Please give blood” is parked on grass near a building, with several cars and a partly cloudy sky in the background. @ stockmark.it](https://i0.wp.com/stockmark.it/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/nhs-sm.jpg?fit=480%2C270&quality=89&ssl=1)

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The National Health Service (NHS) has announced a groundbreaking initiative to tackle the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) by partnering with the pharmaceutical industry. The NHS will negotiate fixed-fee contracts with drugmakers, offering up to £20 million per year for each new antibiotic developed. This innovative approach aims to incentivise the development of novel antibiotics while discouraging their overuse.

The subscription-style deals, negotiated alongside the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), will decouple payments from the volume of antibiotics prescribed. This strategic move is designed to ensure that pharmaceutical companies remain financially motivated to invest in the research and development of new antimicrobial drugs without relying on increased sales.

The NHS has issued tenders for these subscription contracts, with an estimated total value of up to £1.9 billion over a 16-year period. The scheme will be implemented across all four nations of the United Kingdom, signalling a united front in the battle against AMR. David Glover, NHS assistant director of medicines analysis, emphasised the significance of this initiative, stating that it represents a significant step forward in ensuring the financial viability of developing next-generation antimicrobial drugs.

The scheme aims to keep the looming threat of drug-resistant superbugs at bay, which could potentially claim millions of lives globally by 2050 if left unchecked. The urgent need for new antibiotics is underscored by the fact that no new classes of antibiotics have been discovered since the 1980s. The World Bank estimates that the global cost of AMR could reach £1 trillion to £3.4 trillion per year by 2030, making it a critical issue that demands immediate action.

The UK’s subscription scheme follows a successful 2022 pilot phase between the NHS and pharmaceutical giants Pfizer and Shionogi. The programme will prioritise products that treat infections caused by pathogens identified as “critical” by the World Health Organization, particularly Gram-negative bacteria, which pose a significant drug-resistance threat.

Health minister Karin Smyth highlighted the UK’s leading role in developing new antibiotics and called for a coordinated global response to the AMR challenge at the upcoming United Nations General Assembly. While the maximum annual payment of £20 million per drug may not match the billions of pounds that drugmakers typically aim to earn from their leading assets, the guaranteed return on investment offered by this scheme is a positive step towards ensuring the availability of effective antibiotics for future generations.

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