Inside EU Health: AMR pipeline; EU AI food safety tool; mRNA duo to found new company
Report warns of 'worryingly thin' antimicrobial treatments pipeline; New EU AI tool aims to transform food crisis response; BioNTech co-founders will leave to focus on next-generation mRNA innovations
Report warns of 'worryingly thin' antimicrobial treatments pipeline
The Access to Medicine Foundation’s latest Antimicrobial Resistance Benchmark report warns the drug pipeline remains “worryingly thin” despite limited progress. Three innovative antibiotics have gained approval and seven more are in late-stage development, but CEO Jayasree K. Iyer says “industry investment has lost momentum.” The report reviews 25 pharmaceutical companies and 10 generic manufacturers across R&D, responsible manufacturing, access and stewardship.
Large research-based companies have cut projects by 35% since 2021, with smaller biotech firms filling gaps but lacking capital and reach. Access remains “woefully inadequate” in low- and middle-income countries, especially for children.
With AMR deaths projected to surge by 2050, the foundation urges stronger incentives and coordinated action, saying “it is up to all stakeholders to deliver.”
Catherine Feore
New EU AI tool aims to transform food safety
The European Commission has unveiled TraceMap, an artificial intelligence platform to speed up the detection of food fraud, contaminated products and foodborne disease outbreaks across the EU.
The system will help national authorities identify risks earlier, coordinate investigations more effectively and remove unsafe goods from the market more quickly, strengthening crisis response and consumer protection.
Commissioner for Health and Animal Welfare Olivér Várhelyi said: “TraceMap is a breakthrough which will revolutionise the EU’s capacity to react to food safety crises and to clamp down on food fraud. [...]. This is critical infrastructure for crisis prevention and control and should help boost all stakeholders’ confidence in our robust food safety systems.”
A pilot version has already been used to help recall infant milk ingredients made with cereulide-contaminated ARA oil from China.
Catherine Feore
BioNTech co-founders leave to focus on next-generation mRNA innovation
BioNTech co-founders Professors Ugur Sahin and Özlem Türeci announced that they will step away to launch an independent company developing next-generation mRNA innovations. BioNTech will focus on its late-stage pipeline and its COVID-19 vaccine franchise. The pair will transition by the end of 2026.
“Over 18 years, we built BioNTech from a start-up into a global biopharmaceutical company,” said Sahin. “Özlem and I are ready to become pioneers once again.”
BioNTech’s Chairman Helmut Jeggle called the move “additive for both”, saying the companies will collaborate on combination therapies and will collaborate on an at arm’s-lenght basis.
Catherine Feore