New economic incentives for developing antimicrobial agents
The more frequently pathogens come into contact with a particular drug, the more likely they are to develop resistance and render the medication ineffective. Resistant pathogens lead to millions of deaths each year – and the trend is rising. Nevertheless, hardly any new antimicrobial agents are being developed, in part because pharmaceutical companies lack economic incentives. This issue is repeatedly addressed and presented by the scientific community and has reached the highest political levels, including the governments of the G7 nations. Yet despite all efforts, the number of antibiotic-resistant infections continues to rise – while the number of newly developed antibiotics remains low.
Last edited: 10. March 2026
The issue of antimicrobial resistance has been addressed at the highest political levels both nationally and internationally for several years. Despite numerous initiatives – some with substantial political and financial backing – there is still no solution in sight to meet the urgent need for the development of new antimicrobial agents for use in patients. On the contrary, many companies have exited this market.
Against this backdrop, the multidisciplinary working group focuses in particular on the economic barriers that hinder engagement in antimicrobial research and development. One of the group’s key objectives is to develop concrete strategies to help tackle this global challenge.
The guiding questions of the working group are:
- What are the barriers to the development of new antibiotics – with regard to the individuals, systems, funding structures, institutions, or regulatory frameworks involved?
- What viable economic conditions need to be established to encourage stronger engagement from the pharmaceutical industry in antimicrobial research and development?
- Which innovative business models could help stimulate research and development in the field of antimicrobial agents?
- Based on past experience, what concrete and practical solutions might address the challenges – such as reimbursement models, subscription-based payment schemes, or other pull incentives?
- What role should government and public research institutions play, and what contribution could start-up companies make?
- How can international collaboration be intensified, and how can international funding mechanisms be made more effective?
The working group is composed of researchers from relevant disciplines, primarily in the fields of economics, microbiology, and medicine.
Spokesperson of the working group
Professor Dr
Axel A. Brakhage ▸
- Microbiology and Immunology
- Election year 2008
Further members of the working group
- Prof Dr Marylyn Addo, Section of Infectiology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf
- Prof. Dr Heike Brötz-Oesterhelt, Interfaculty Institute for Microbiology and Infection Medicine, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen
- Prof. Dr Christoph Dehio ML, Biozentrum, University of Basel
- Prof Dr Petra Gastmeier, Institute for Hygiene and Environmental Medicine, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin
- Prof Dr Dietmar Harhoff ML, Max Planck Institute for Innovation and Competition, Munich
- Prof Dr Jürgen Heesemann ML, Max von Pettenkofer Institute for Hygiene and Medical Microbiology, University of Munich
- Prof. Dr Ulrike Holzgrabe, Institute of Pharmacy and Food Chemistry, Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg
- Prof Dr Thomas Krieg ML, Clinic and Polyclinic for Dermatology and Venereology, University of Cologne
- Prof Dr Oliver Kurzai, Institute of Hygiene and Microbiology, University of Würzburg
- Prof Dr Thomas C. Mettenleiter ML, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut (FLI), Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Greifswald - Insel Riems
- Prof Dr Axel Ockenfels ML, Department of Economics, University of Cologne
- Prof Dr Konrad Reinhart ML, University Hospital Jena and Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin
- Prof Dr Monika Schnitzer ML, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Faculty of Economics, Seminar for Comparative Economic Research
- Prof Dr Stefan Sieber, Chair of Organic Chemistry II, Technical University of Munich
- Prof. Dr Norbert Suttorp ML, Medical Clinic specialising in Infectiology and Pneumology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin
- Prof. Dr Achim Wambach, President of the ZEW - Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research
- Prof Dr Lothar Wieler ML, Digital Health Cluster, Digital Global Public Health, Hasso Plattner Institute Potsdam
ML = Member of the Leopoldina
Contact us
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Kontakt Dr. Stefanie Bohley
Scientific Officer, Department Science - Policy - Society
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Kontakt Dr. Henning Steinicke
Deputy Head, Department Science – Policy – Society