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Antimicrobial resistance: Our biggest challenge?

Antimicrobial medicines are the cornerstone of modern medicine. The emergence and spread of drug-resistant pathogens threatens our ability to treat common infections and to perform life-saving procedures including cancer chemotherapy and caesarean section, hip replacements, organ transplantation and other surgeries. - The World Health Organization

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites evolve in a way that makes them resistant to the drugs (such as antibiotics, antivirals, antifungals, and antiparasitics) used to treat or prevent infections caused by them. It leads to standard treatments becoming ineffective, allowing infections to take hold and persist, leading to an increase in the risk of disease spread, severe illness, and death.

AMR is recognised as a major global health threat, and tackling it requires coordinated international action across healthcare, agriculture, and environmental sectors. There are some practical steps that can immediately be taken, including:

  • Surveillance: Monitoring resistance patterns is key to understanding AMR spread and informing effective treatments.
  • Prudent Use of Antimicrobials: Encouraging the responsible use of antibiotics, including only prescribing them when necessary and completing the full course of treatment.
  • Public Awareness: Educating the public and healthcare professionals about the dangers of AMR and promoting good practices like infection prevention and hygiene.

However, it is recognised that investing in the development of new antibiotics, vaccines, and diagnostic tools is essential, if we are going to tackle concerns around AMR in the medium to long-term. Is enough being done in this regard?

Our latest AMR insights

Antimicrobial resistance: What is being done?

It has been 8 years since the Review on Antimicrobial Resistance “Tackling Drug-Resistant Infections Globally”   was published. This is often referred to more colloquially as “The O’Neill report on antimicrobial resistance”.

Learn more

What recommendations have been made since the O'Neill report?

Since the publication of Jim O'Neill's 2016 report on AMR, several recommendations have seen partial implementation, while others still require attention.

Learn more

What does the O’Neill report on antimicrobial resistance cover?

The O'Neill report on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) outlines urgent steps to address the global rise in drug-resistant infections. It calls for increased public awareness, better infection prevention, and reduced antibiotic misuse across healthcare and agriculture.

Learn more

Why Marks & Clerk? 

Marks & Clerk recognises the magnitude of this challenge and we work with many clients looking to provide AMR solutions. Due to our size and global reach, we are extremely well placed to provide advice and expertise to our clients looking to secure and enforce their AMR focussed IP. No matter your size or location, we have the knowledge and personnel who are able to assist you. We have experts who recognise the important differences and appropriate advice required, be our client a university, SME or global multinational. As well as being skilled in drafting and prosecuting patent applications in the field, we are extremely fortunate to have solicitors in Marks & Clerk Law, who are able to advise on and have significant relevant expertise in AMR related patent litigation, as well as regulatory and exclusivity requirements. Our patent attorneys and IP solicitors work together closely to provide the best advice and solutions for our AMR clients. 

We also see ourselves as thought leaders in this field. Over the coming months, we intend publishing a number of AMR related articles specifically looking at relevant patent filing information and analytics, providing our insights in these and other associated areas. In view of the significant importance of AMR globally, we will look at worldwide patent filing activities, in order to use this as a metric of how innovation in developing new antimicrobials, vaccines and rapid diagnostics has progressed over the last 10 years.

AMR specialists at Marks & Clerk

A global team

Photo: Paul Chapman

Paul Chapman

Of Counsel Chartered (UK) and European Patent Attorney, UPC Representative
Paul has over 25 years of experience in the IP profession, particularly in the biotechnology, chemistry and pharmaceutical fields.
Photo: Monique Chu

Monique Chu

Partner Chinese and Chartered (UK) Patent Attorney
Monique is a UK Chartered Patent Attorney and also qualified to practice as a Chinese Patent Attorney. She specializes in patent and has notable experience in biotechnology, pharmaceutical, cosmetic related and mechanical inventions. Monique also has extensive experience in advising clients on design matters.
Photo: Richard Gibbs

Richard Gibbs

Partner Chartered (UK) and European Patent Attorney, UPC Representative
Richard advises clients in patenting and other IP matters in the field of biotechnology and has particular expertise in technologies relating to antibodies, vaccines, biologics, virology, bacteriology and molecular biology.
Photo: Mike Gilbert

Mike Gilbert

Partner Solicitor (UK)
Mike is an IP lawyer who advises clients in a wide variety of business sectors on issues including litigation and dispute resolution, IP strategy and risk limitation, due diligence projects and commercial and licensing transactions involving IP.

Kamleh J. Nicola

Partner | Co-Head of Litigation | Barrister and Solicitor Co-Head of Litigation | Barrister and Solicitor
Kamleh Nicola is a partner at Marks & Clerk and Co-Head of the firm’s Litigation practice in Canada.
Photo: Will Nieuwenhuys

Will Nieuwenhuys

Partner Chartered (UK) and European Patent Attorney, UPC Representative
Will has experience in a variety of technical fields, with particular expertise in small molecule organic and pharmaceutical chemistry.
Photo: Gareth Williams

Gareth Williams

Partner Chartered (UK) and European Patent Attorney, UPC Representative
Gareth is a partner in the Cambridge office of Marks & Clerk, and has over twenty years of experience in IP. His technical background is in human molecular biology and genetics, having obtained a doctorate which was funded as part of the Human Genome Project.