8 July 2014 - Pharmaceutical industry leaders are calling for an alternative reimbursement model for antibiotics in the UK sooner rather than later in order to support effective stewardship and research and development in the short term. 

The call, from the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry's Antibiotic Network, comes after concerns were raised by MPs that an independent review of antibiotic resistance and the current status quo - announced by Prime Minister David Cameron last week - is expected to take a couple of years to complete. 

UK review launched to seek ways to encourage antibiotic developmentReal action required to tackle antibiotic resistance

A report by the House of Commons Science and Technology Select Committee into antimicrobial resistance has stressed that the review "should not delay work on any pricing alternatives that could be agreed with the pharmaceutical industry over a shorter timescale".

According to the Network, while the panel undertakes its review the UK "should take a leadership role to pilot an alternative reimbursement model for antibiotics", and it stressed it is "ready to engage on exploring a workable pilot". 

In the long term, it says governments must work on an innovative incentive model to reward the development of new treatments, it said.

For more details, go to: http://www.pharmatimes.com/article/14-07-08/Calls_for_UK_to_pilot_new_reimbursement_models_for_antibiotics.aspx