PACE (Pathways to Antimicrobial Clinical Efficacy) has launched its third funding round, supporting innovative projects that tackle resistant bacterial infections posing the greatest threat to global health.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), over 80% of recently approved bacterial antimicrobial agents show similarities to existing drug classes, meaning their potential is limited as resistance mechanisms to these classes already exist. Without significant action and pipeline diversification, it is expected that by 2050, bacterial AMR will be associated with more than eight million deaths per year and could cost the world $100 trillion.
In its latest funding round, PACE, one of the UK’s largest public-private initiatives targeting early-stage antimicrobial drug and diagnostic development, is seeking innovative therapeutic projects that focus on bacterial infections with the highest AMR burden and unmet need as defined by the WHO. These include lower respiratory tract infections, urinary tract infections and bloodstream infections. AMR is making these infections increasingly harder to treat, often leading to unresolved or recurrent infections and an increased risk of sepsis, which can be fatal.
Announced at the inaugural Global AMR Innovators’ Conference (GAMRIC) in London, the funding is part of a broader £30 million investment from PACE, a collaboration between Innovate UK, LifeArc, and Medicines Discovery Catapult, to accelerate solutions for global AMR challenges. The latest funding round will provide up to £6 million to support up to eight promising early-stage, antibacterial therapeutics and will prioritise those that work in novel ways, target new mechanisms, and have the potential to treat infections caused by multidrug-resistant bacteria.
Successful applicants will receive a tailored package of funding and wraparound support, including strategic guidance to identify the right progression pathway for their AMR asset as well as access to key resources and sector connections. This will enable early-stage ideas to progress with greater speed and confidence towards onward investment and clinical adoption so that they reach the people who urgently need them. Projects are expected to last up to two years, with a maximum of £1 million available per project. AMR innovators worldwide are encouraged to apply.
Initiatives like PACE, which expand, diversify, and nurture the antibacterial R&D pipeline, are critical to tackle AMR and safeguard global health into the future.
Commenting on the announcement from PACE, 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.”
Lord Jim O’Neill, Economist and former Chair of the UK Government’s Review on Antimicrobial Resistance, added: “Antimicrobial resistance is not just a health problem—it’s an economic time bomb. If we allow antibiotics to lose their effectiveness, the cost will be staggering: higher healthcare bills, reduced productivity, and millions of lives cut short. That’s why we need new solutions, and why initiatives like PACE are so important. By supporting precision medicine in antimicrobials, PACE is ensuring the pipeline doesn’t run dry. This funding round is another step toward creating the incentives and investment we need to get ahead of drug resistance, protect patients, and safeguard the global economy.”
Dr Beverley Isherwood, PACE Programme Director, said: “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.”
Awardees of the first PACE funding round also shared their thoughts on the impact of PACE support and funding:
Dr Paul Finn, Chief Scientific Officer, Oxford Drug Design, said: “PACE is providing crucial support to tackle the antimicrobial resistance crisis in today's funding environment. Providing access to enabling capabilities, such as the UKHSA’s bacterial strain panels, in addition to financial support, helps us deliver results quickly and accelerate progress.”
Dr Alistair Farley, Scientific Lead, Ineos Oxford Institute for Antimicrobial Research, said: “In addition to funding, PACE support includes a network of R&D advisors and delivery partners with experience throughout the drug development stages. Advice and guidance from experts in biotech and academia are invaluable, as drug discovery teams are typically small and may not have all the necessary expertise in-house. The PACE program enables us to progress our series towards preclinical development and provides critical funding and space for innovation.”
Dr Bruno Santos, Chief Executive Officer, Immunethep, said: “With PACE’s support, Immunethep is developing monoclonal antibodies to address antimicrobial resistance. Together, we’re advancing therapies that can reshape infectious disease treatment and inspire bold innovation.”
How to Apply
To submit an expression of interest, visit https://tinyurl.com/4hpvp5r2
For more information about the funding round and to sign up for an informational webinar at 15:00 (BST) on 8 October, visit https://paceamr.org.uk/funding/
The deadline for expressions of interest is 23:59 GMT on Wednesday, 5 November 2025.
