UK and Russian researchers joined efforts against antimicrobial resistance

Two of the key organisations in the UK and Russia leading efforts to combat the global problem of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) have today announced a formal agreement to work together.

The AMR Centre (AMRC), located at Alderley Park, Cheshire is to collaborate with Russian science and technology organisation, the Skolkovo Foundation, which is based in Moscow. They will work in partnership to identify opportunities for joint UK-Russian funding to support collaborative projects between organisations in both countries.

The agreement, announced during the Genesis Conference at the QEII Centre in London, and also at the UK-Russia Healthcare & Life Sciences Forum in Moscow, will see the AMRC provide support to Skolkovo-based small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) for the pre-clinical development of new therapies and diagnostics for AMR.

The centre will offer assistance in the form of R&D expertise and help with funding applications, including applications for international funding from its alliance partner, CARB-X, a $400m global initiative backed by the US Government and the UK charity the Wellcome Trust.

Founded in 2010 and based in Moscow region, the Skolkovo innovation system comprises the Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology (Skoltech) established in partnership with MIT, corporate R&D centres, business incubators, more than high-tech 1700 start-up companies, technological and urban infrastructure.

Dr Peter Jackson, executive director of the ARMC, said: “AMR is a very serious issue in Russia and we are pleased to be able to collaborate with Russian companies working in this field and offer our assistance and advice with funding and clinical expertise. There is a deep well of scientific resource in Russia which can be directed at this challenge and we will use our knowledge and contacts to help coordinate activity and bring on projects which might not otherwise progress.”

2017 marks the UK-Russia Year of Science and Education, which is intended to stimulate further scientific collaboration between the two countries and is supported by the UK Science and Innovation Network at the British Embassy in Moscow.

Kirill Kaem, Senior Vice-President for Innovations of the Skolkovo Foundation, said: “The discovery of antibiotics was one of the world’s main scientific breakthroughs in the middle of the 20th century. However, nowadays the antibiotic resistance situation is very complicated. Out of our 430 biomedical startups, Skolkovo’s project portfolio includes only a few companies that are developing new antibiotics or diagnostic solutions in this therapeutic area and we would like to have more. For Skolkovo startups, it will be a great honour to start collaboration with AMRC as a scientific and advisory R&D centre in antibiotic resistance. This partnership is an opportunity for innovative Russian companies to become a part of international research programmes, and fight the global problem of antimicrobial resistance.”