PACE Antibacterial Therapeutics Funding Call 2023

With this aim the first funding call will focus solely on early-stage, novel, antibacterial therapeutics. In scope indications are: Lower Respiratory Tract Infections (LRTI); Bloodstream Infections (BSI); Intra-abdominal Infections (IAI); and Urinary Tract Infections (UTI).

And projects should be directed at one or more of the following drug-resistant bacteria. They are as follows:

• Top priority
  • Novel therapeutics applicable for drug-resistant bacterial infections associated with WHO critical priority Gram-negative pathogens Enterobacteriaceae (prioritising E. coli and K. pneumoniae), A. baumannii, and P. aeruginosa.
• Also eligible
  • Novel oral therapeutics applicable to drug-resistant S. aureus.
  • Projects should be transformational, with the aim to fill a gap for innovative & differentiated antimicrobials in the clinical pipeline. They encourage projects that are based on the concept of precision medicine where consideration is given to potential patient stratification and diagnostics requirements.

Funding Information

• Up to 12 applicants will be awarded a maximum of £1 million in grant funding, with projects expected to last up to two years. AMR innovators worldwide are eligible to apply.

Eligibility Criteria

• The funding is open to researchers in academia and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) worldwide, including consortia (Large Pharma partners permitted, but must cover own costs) ​
• Applications should have a single lead applicant; however co-applicants are welcome.
• PACE intend to fund projects looking at:
  • Hit Validation, Hit-to-Lead, Lead Optimisation, Candidate Selection and Early Preclinical phases
  • Any novel targets OR novel chemical classes including but not limited to the following mechanisms; direct-acting and non-direct acting antimicrobials, anti-virulence approaches, immunomodulatory agents, and potentiators
  • Any modality including but not limited to small molecules, antibodies, peptides, CRISPR-Cas, complex/targeted modalities, phage.
• What they are not looking for?
  • Projects focused solely on IND/CTA-enabling studies or clinical phase R&D
  • Target Identification, screening and Hit Identification
  • Antibiotics based on iterations of existing therapeutics e.g. β-lactams
  • Vaccines
  • Infections caused by mycobacteria (including TB), fungal and Gram-positive pathogens other than S. aureus​
  • S. aureus therapeutics:
    • that are non-oral formulations
    • any formulations targeting skin or prosthetic joint infections
  • Projects not directly focused on antimicrobial development (e.g. diagnostics, delivery methods, biomarkers, standalone technology, model development)

For more information, visit PACE.