CAIC applauds the Government of Canada’s release of the Pan-Canadian Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance
June 26, 2023 – The Canadian Antimicrobial Innovation Coalition (CAIC) applauds the federal, provincial and territorial Ministers of Health and Agriculture for releasing the Pan-Canadian Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), a five-year (2023 to 2027) blueprint to coordinate an accelerated pan-Canadian response to address antimicrobial resistance (AMR), one of the major health threats of our time.
“CAIC applauds the government for this significant milestone in addressing AMR in Canada and looks forward to continuing to work together to strengthen AMR preparedness and response over the next five years,” says Dr. Sameeh M. Salama, Chief Scientific Officer, Fedora Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Chair, Board of Directors, CAIC. “AMR poses a serious threat to the health of people and animals and we are encouraged to see concrete steps being taken by the Canadian government to address this.”
Nearly 15 people in Canada per day were estimated to have lost their lives to antimicrobial-resistant infections in 2018. The costs to the healthcare system and Canada’s GDP are already significant – an estimated $1.4 billion and $2.0 billion, respectively, in 2018. Essential medical interventions such as organ transplantations, joint replacements and chemotherapy are becoming riskier as the antimicrobials used to prevent and treat infectious complications from these interventions are losing their effectiveness.
“Whether through access to new technologies for prevention, diagnostics and treatments or new policies and programs, innovation will be central to Canada’s ability to fulfill the Pan-Canadian Action Plan. We look forward to working together with government and partners to ensure that innovation supports program areas of research and innovation, surveillance, stewardship, and infection prevention and leadership,” says Dani Peters, Senior Advisor, CAIC.
CAIC values the Action Plan’s commitments to develop and implement economic and/or regulatory incentives to support innovation and facilitate sustainable access to new and existing antimicrobials, diagnostics, and alternatives to antimicrobials. Innovation will play a critical role in combatting AMR through the availability of novel antimicrobials to address antibiotic-resistance bacteria, as well as diagnostics and alternatives to antibiotics such as surgical tools, vaccines and phage therapy.
Access the full Pan-Canadian Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance at https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/publications/drugs-health-products/pan-canadian-action-plan-antimicrobial-resistance.html
About CAIC
The Canadian Antimicrobial Innovation Coalition (CAIC) is a member-based non-profit organization helping to protect Canada’s population from the rise in antimicrobial resistance. We are committed to engaging Canada’s public, health sector and governments on strategies to combat AMR through biomedical innovation. CAIC’s mandate is to protect the Canadian population from the rise in AMR, by positioning Canada to be a leader in AMR research and product development, economic growth, and investment.
CAIC aims to facilitate necessary dialogue and collaboration between relevant partners such as regulators, public policymakers, researchers, and manufacturers. Through its influential membership, CAIC seeks to advocate for certain policy initiatives and advise government officials on appropriate research mechanisms, regulatory incentives aimed at strengthening efforts to combat AMR in Canada, and methods to overcome market barriers.
For more information, visit www.amrinnovation.ca and follow us on Twitter @CanadaAMR and LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/canada-amr/.
Membership
Adapsyn Bioscience
BD Canada
bioMerieux
Bright Angel Therapeutics
GSK
DiaSorin
DynaLife
Fedora Pharmaceuticals
Innovative Medicines Canada (IMC)
Johnson & Johnson
Nobelex
Nosotech
Paladin Labs
Merck
Microbion
Red Leaf Medical
Roche
SaNOtize
SterileCare
SmartBiotic
Shionogi
Verity Pharmaceuticals
À propos de la CAIC
La Canadian Antimicrobial Innovation Coalition (CAIC) est composée d’acteurs majeurs dans les secteurs de l’innovation biomédicale, de la recherche biopharmaceutique, du diagnostic et de la recherche. Le mandat de la CAIC est de protéger les Canadiens contre la croissance de la résistance aux antimicrobiens (RAM) en faisant du Canada un chef de file en matière de recherche, de développement de produits, de croissance économique et d’investissements relatifs à la RAM. Les membres actuels de notre comité de direction représentent les entreprises suivantes : Adapsyn, BD-Canada, bioMérieux Canada inc. DeNovaMed Inc, Fedora Pharmaceuticals, GSK Inc., Merck Canada Inc. et saNOtize Inc. Pour plus d’information, visitez www.amrinnovation.ca et suivez-nous sur Twitter au CanadaAMR.