Experts to establish global anti-microbial agenda at 2014 BioInfect Conference

Bionow, a not for profit membership organisation for the biomedical / life-sciences industry, is delighted to be hosting the 2014 BioInfect Conference. A major one day conference looking at the critical issues relating to the development of new anti-infectives and the endemic problem of resistance, will take place at the Alderley Park Conference Centre, Cheshire on the 4th November 2014. The conference will again convene scientists, policy makers and government officials from across the world to drive forward and establish the global anti-microbial agenda.

The three main sessions that will be presented at the conference are “Progress: National and International Perspectives”, “Animal Health – the issues” and “Commercial Models.” In addition there will be company technology showcases presenting leading innovation and development in this area. These include North West based Redx Anti-Infectives and Blueberry Therapeutics, QuantuMDx who are based in Newcastle and Discuva who are based in Cambridge.

The development of antibiotics has been vital to our survival, yet the rise of antimicrobial resistance is threatening to make them ineffective in the future. The World Health Organisation estimates that antibiotic treatments add an average of 20 years to all of our lives. But in the 80 years since the discovery of penicillin, our overuse of antibiotics has put pressure on bacteria to evolve resistance, leading to the emergence of untreatable superbugs that threaten the basis of modern medicine.

Dr Geoff Davison, Chief Executive Officer of Bionow, commented:

In order to tackle growing levels of antimicrobial resistance, we need to address this global problem in a truly coordinated way to ensure that we have a health care system that can sustainably control and treat infections. BioInfect is a wonderful opportunity to bring together professionals from the life sciences industry, government and policy making bodies and explore the areas which can truly address this problem for mankind.

BioInfect 2014 follows on from a very successful conference last year where Professor Dame Sally Davies, Chief Medical Officer, noted that "the golden age" of effective antibiotics has come to an end as no new class of drugs has been developing since 1987. She warned of the danger of going back to a pre-antibiotic era, where a simple infection could be a death sentence - a warning echoed by other speakers from around the globe. This year the Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Professor John Watson will inform delegates of the progress which the UK is making in the fight against this deadly threat.