PACE (Pathways to Antimicrobial Clinical Efficacy) has launched its third funding round today, aimed at supporting early-stage projects that address bacterial infections with the greatest antimicrobial resistance (AMR) burden. The initiative is part of a £30 million investment by PACE, a collaboration between Innovate UK, LifeArc, and Medicines Discovery Catapult, designed to accelerate solutions for global AMR challenges.

AMR poses a mounting global threat. According to the World Health Organization, over 80% of recently approved bacterial antimicrobial agents are similar to existing drug classes, limiting their long-term potential. Without pipeline diversification, bacterial AMR could contribute to more than eight million deaths per year by 2050 and cost the global economy $100 trillion. PACE’s latest funding round seeks truly innovative therapeutics targeting infections such as lower respiratory tract, urinary tract, and bloodstream infections, which are increasingly hard to treat and can lead to fatal sepsis.

Announcing the round at the inaugural Global AMR Innovators’ Conference (GAMRIC) in London, Dr Beverley Isherwood, PACE programme director, emphasised the complexity of antimicrobial drug development. She said the programme provides not only funding but also collaborative support, helping innovators advance promising ideas toward clinical adoption. “This latest funding round builds on our existing portfolio and reflects our commitment to support the most innovative global research in AMR,” Dr Isherwood added.

Up to £6 million is available to support eight projects over two years, with a maximum of £1 million per project. Successful applicants will receive tailored funding alongside strategic guidance, access to sector connections, and resources to accelerate development.

Highlighting the urgency, Professor Dame Sally Davies, UK Special Envoy on AMR, 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…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.”

Lord Jim O’Neill, economist and former chair of the UK Government’s Review on AMR, added that resistance is not only a health problem but “an economic time bomb” that could drive up healthcare costs, reduce productivity, and claim millions of lives. Initiatives like PACE, he said, create incentives and investment to keep the antimicrobial pipeline alive and protect patients.

Awardees from previous PACE funding rounds have praised the programme’s impact. Dr Paul Finn, chief scientific officer at Oxford Drug Design, said support including access to bacterial strain panels and financial backing allows teams to accelerate progress. Dr Alistair Farley of the Ineos Oxford Institute for Antimicrobial Research highlighted the value of guidance from expert networks, while Dr Bruno Santos, CEO of Immunethep, noted that PACE funding is helping his team develop monoclonal antibodies to reshape infectious disease treatment.

AMR innovators worldwide are encouraged to apply for the funding round, which prioritises projects with novel mechanisms capable of tackling multidrug-resistant bacteria. Expressions of interest can be submitted via https://tinyurl.com/4hpvp5r2.