ISSUE: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) continues to represent a substantial threat to global public health. New antimicrobials are desperately needed, but the market for new products is not commercially viable, largely due to stewardship principles keeping sales volumes low and the low cost of existing products. Appropriate value assessment and effective pull incentives are key to stimulating R&D in this area and bringing much needed new antibiotics to market.

Current methods of health technology assessment (HTA) focus almost entirely on health gains to a patient and costs to health care systems, thereby excluding the wealth of externalities offered by new antibiotics (such as reduced transmission and enablement of medical procedures, as well as further population level benefits). This exacerbates the already unappealing commercial environment for new antibiotics, discouraging the development of much needed new products.

One framework (STEDI) has been proposed and piloted in attempt to facilitate inclusion of externalities related to antibiotics within HTA. Yet, substantial confusion and apprehension remain around whether the framework should really be used for value assessment, and if so, how it can be operationalised.

Progress on the direction and methods for value assessment of antibiotics is urgently needed if the European Commission’s recent (April 2023) proposals on pull incentives for new antibiotics are to be effective.

OVERVIEW: Following a brief introduction to the issues by the moderator (4 mins), the panel will debate the future of value assessment of new antibiotics, including scope, methods and evidence, as well as its relevance in different countries and under different forms of pull incentive. Panellists will each speak for 12 minutes, providing their perspectives on the issues and articulating their arguments on the optimal direction of value assessment of antibiotics. 20 minutes will be reserved for audience discussion.