PACE has initiated its third £6m funding round to support innovative solutions tackling resistant bacterial infections and the growing global AMR crisis.
Bacterial infections are becoming increasingly difficult to treat as antimicrobial resistance (AMR) accelerates worldwide.
The World Health Organization (WHO) warns that over 80% of recently approved antibacterial drugs are based on existing classes, limiting their effectiveness since resistance mechanisms already exist.
If left unchecked, resistant bacterial infections could cause more than eight million deaths annually by 2050 and cost the global economy an estimated $100 trillion.
PACE unveils third funding round
In response, Pathways to Antimicrobial Clinical Efficacy (PACE) has launched its third round of funding, announced at the inaugural Global AMR Innovators’ Conference (GAMRIC) in London.
Backed by a wider £30m investment, the initiative is one of the UK’s largest public-private collaborations targeting antimicrobial research. Partners include Innovate UK, LifeArc, and Medicines Discovery Catapult.
This latest round will provide up to £6m in support for as many as eight groundbreaking projects that address bacterial infections with the highest AMR burden. Each successful applicant can receive as much as £1m over a two-year period.
Commenting on the landmark funding, Professor Dame Sally Davies, UK Special Envoy on Antimicrobial Resistance, said: “Antimicrobial resistance is not a distant threat – it is here and demands urgent action.
“Without effective antibiotics, modern medicine as we know it will falter. Routine procedures will become dangerous, our economies will feel the strain, and more lives will be lost.
“That is why initiatives like PACE are so important. By strengthening the pipeline of new antibiotics and diagnostics, PACE gives us the precision tools we need to stay ahead of this crisis.
“This latest round of funding is a crucial investment in translational science and scientists, whose work is essential to safeguarding health and protecting future generations from drug-resistant infections.”
Targeting the deadliest bacterial infections
PACE is prioritising projects that focus on life-threatening infections, including lower respiratory tract infections, urinary tract infections, and bloodstream infections.
These conditions are becoming harder to treat, often leading to recurrent or unresolved illness and raising the risk of sepsis, a potentially fatal complication.
The funding programme specifically seeks therapies that operate in novel ways – targeting fresh mechanisms of action rather than repeating existing approaches.
By supporting innovation at the early stage, PACE aims to diversify the antibacterial drug pipeline and create long-term resilience against resistant pathogens.
More than just funding
Successful applicants won’t just receive financial backing. PACE also provides wraparound support, including expert guidance, strategic planning, and access to sector networks and resources.
This tailored approach is designed to help early-stage innovations progress more efficiently towards clinical adoption and future investment.
Dr Beverley Isherwood, PACE Programme Director, added: “Developing new antimicrobial drugs is hugely complex and challenging.
“Through PACE, we’re offering vital funding and collaborative support to innovators working to tackle AMR, helping them move promising ideas toward the clinic and to the patients who urgently need them. This latest funding round builds on our existing portfolio and the appetite we saw from the AMR community in our previous funding rounds.
“It reflects our commitment to support the most innovative global research in AMR, and we’re excited that we can now support even more pioneering projects that have the potential to save lives and protect future generations from drug-resistant infections.”
Driving AMR innovation to safeguard the future
AMR innovators worldwide are encouraged to apply for this round of funding. By nurturing new approaches to bacterial infections, initiatives like PACE play a vital role in safeguarding global health for future generations.
With the rising threat of antibiotic resistance, PACE’s latest call for projects emphasises that the fight against bacterial infections requires urgent and bold innovation, and the time to act is now.
