2024 – A Pivotal Year for AMR Global Action: A Conversation with Dr. Tim Jinks, Head of Infectious Disease Interventions at Wellcome

As the world grapples with the rising threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), it’s clear that this crisis requires a coordinated global response. At the forefront of the global fight against AMR is Tim Jinks, the Head of Infectious Disease Interventions at Wellcome. With his team, Tim has been pioneering global strategies to address AMR, focusing on interventions that span policy, scientific research, and public awareness. As we enter what Wellcome describes as a “pivotal year” for AMR action, Dr. Jinks shares his insights on the priorities needed to sustain progress, and how collaboration can help turn the tide in this growing health crisis.

Tim, you spoke at the WuXi Healthcare Forum in 2022. Since then, how has the AMR landscape evolved, and how has Wellcome adapted to these changes?

Tim Jinks: Since the 2022 forum, one of the biggest changes has been the shift into a post-pandemic era, which has reshaped global attention on infectious diseases. While we’ve gained awareness, there’s also a risk of pandemic fatigue, which can weaken the focus on AMR. That’s why it’s essential to re-energize political action and approach AMR with a strategic, step-by-step plan.

At Wellcome, we’ve adapted by focusing on fewer but more impactful interventions, aligning our science, research, and policy efforts with the most pressing needs. On the research side, we’re zeroing in on areas where we can make the greatest impact, particularly by prioritizing the development of promising therapies for AMR. AMR is a complex challenge with many layers, so we’re concentrating on a select few that show the most promise for improving health outcomes.

On the policy front, we’re working to close gaps in global governance. This includes pushing for a unified global goal on AMR to drive policy change, establishing a scientific evidence evaluation panel, and creating a system for follow-up. We’re also emphasizing solutions for communities most affected by AMR, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. Our focus now is to keep building momentum and secure genuine commitments and accountability mechanisms from countries worldwide.

Wellcome’s website mentions that 2024 is a critical year to accelerate AMR action. What makes 2024 such a pivotal year?

Tim Jinks: 2024 is pivotal because it marks a real moment for coordinated global action on AMR, especially with the recent high-level meeting at the UN General Assembly. This meeting gave countries a platform to set priorities and agree on specific actions. It’s a chance to transform commitments into real progress and decide collectively what steps can make a meaningful impact.

With the momentum from the UN meeting, we’re optimistic that 2024 can serve as a launchpad for impactful progress. It’s an opportunity for countries to take coordinated steps and set a strong foundation for sustainable change. We see it as the year where talk can turn into action, creating a shared, collaborative path forward.

Collaboration clearly plays a key role at Wellcome. Can you share examples of initiatives Wellcome supports to foster global cooperation?

Tim Jinks: Absolutely. Collaboration is at the heart of what we do. Three examples come to mind: First, there’s CARB-X, an international AMR product accelerator with multiple funders. CARB-X pools global resources and coordinates funding to support product developers in accelerating innovation against AMR.

Second is CAMO-Net, a global network Wellcome established to address AMR’s impact on human health, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. CAMO-Net focuses on creating accessible tools, guidelines, and practices for optimizing antimicrobial treatment and ensuring solutions reach communities where they’re most needed.

The third example is ADVANCE-ID, a multi-country clinical research network across Southeast and South Asia that generates evidence to improve treatment, diagnosis, and infection prevention. ADVANCE-ID supports clinical trials for new products and enhances treatment approaches for AMR. These partnerships allow us to address AMR from multiple angles and with a focus on areas with the greatest need.

Beyond these global initiatives, what other priorities is Wellcome focusing on to address AMR?

Tim Jinks: Strengthening the pipeline for new antimicrobials remains a top priority for us. While the pipeline has seen some progress since 2017, it’s still not robust enough to meet global needs, nor is it sustainable. This is a critical issue, as the current pipeline and the capacity of drug developers in this field are both under severe pressure.

The biggest obstacle isn’t just technical—it’s financial. The lack of sustainable funding is putting a stranglehold on innovation. Without adequate financing, we simply can’t maintain a strong flow of new treatments. This funding challenge remains the biggest barrier to building a sustainable pipeline for new antibiotics.

Do you see partnerships playing a role in addressing these funding challenges?

Tim Jinks: Absolutely. The private sector is crucial as the primary agent for delivering new antibiotics, but public and philanthropic sectors are equally important in creating a stable environment for the private sector to operate. We need a combination of financing strategies that support private sector involvement and make it viable for investors to return to antibiotic development.

At Wellcome, we advocate for a blended approach. Public, private, and nonprofit stakeholders all have roles to play in maximizing funding for R&D and ensuring that products reach those in need. It’s about building a system that shares risks and rewards across sectors, enabling sustainable innovation in the AMR space.

Looking ahead, what would you like to see in the financing landscape for AMR in the next 5 to 10 years?

Tim Jinks: I’ve mentioned financing in two contexts: supporting the pipeline for new therapeutics and coordinating international efforts. While these are somewhat different areas, they both face the same fundamental challenge: the need for accessible financing. In the next 5 to 10 years, we need to ensure that financial mechanisms and instruments are in place to make funding readily available to the stakeholders who will use it.

Currently, there aren’t adequate mechanisms or financial backing to support coordinated international action. Focusing on the pipeline, significant attention has been directed toward improving financing for product development in this space. We’ve seen an increase in 'push funding,' where organizations like Wellcome have provided support for initiatives such as CARB-X. However, to achieve sustainability, we also need complementary 'pull funding' mechanisms.

The UK government has implemented a pull funding model that delinks drug purchases from sales volume, guaranteeing a set amount of income to ensure the availability of products on a sustainable basis. This approach shows promise by creating a clear market for new products once they are developed. A balanced combination of push and pull funding could help address the financial gaps in the pipeline.

At present, only a few countries are adopting these types of policy interventions with financing mechanisms, and the current number of pull instruments is insufficient to meet the overall financial needs for AMR product development. More countries need to take action and implement policy measures to mobilize the necessary funding.

Many people focus on treatments and drugs, but prevention is equally important. What preventive approaches should we be prioritizing?

Tim Jinks: Yes. Very important question. Now, while developing new antibiotics remains a critical priority for the AMR agenda, we need for that agenda to be reoriented to become a preventative strategy. So from a global perspective where we stand today, preventative approaches that need to be adopted should prioritize three things.

Firstly, we need to see implementation of effective infection prevention control measures in health care systems worldwide. Secondly, there needs to be implementation of WASH, that access to water and sanitation and hygiene, particularly ensuring that health care facilities have appropriate water, sanitation, and hygiene systems. And thirdly, increased vaccination and acceleration of development of new vaccines. Those three things need to be prioritized as approaches so that we can not only bend the curve in terms of controlling AMR, but decrease the need for therapies overall. And hopefully, we can arrive at a much more balanced situation where therapies, which will always be needed, will be needed on a much lower basis and therefore make it possible to manage and control antimicrobial resistance itself and be able to have effective treatments available when patients need them.

Thank you for sharing these insights. As we wrap up, what’s your outlook for AMR over the next decade?

Tim Jinks: Looking ahead, I’m hopeful. In a decade, we should see new antibiotics and treatments reaching healthcare systems, including those developed through initiatives like CARB-X, potentially supported by the AMR Action Fund. Our aim is for these treatments to be accessible globally, addressing infections that have become untreatable due to resistance.

Beyond that, we hope to establish a strong evidence base to guide countries in prioritizing interventions and protecting their populations. A key milestone I’d like to see is the formation of an independent scientific evaluation panel to provide recommendations and guidance. With a coordinated global approach, backed by both scientific rigor and political commitment, I’m confident we can turn the tide on AMR and secure a safer, healthier future for generations to come.