Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) occurs when microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites change in ways that render the medications used to cure the infections they cause ineffective.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) occurs when microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites change in ways that render the medications used to cure the infections they cause ineffective.

Without new antibiotics, more patients will die from previously treatable infections. However, a key issue is how antibiotics can be appropriately assessed, particularly by payers and/or health technology assessment (HTA) bodies, to take account of AMR and reflect the full benefit they provide to patients and society.

This Briefing discusses 10 elements of value which can be split into two groups: four relevant benefits typically included in HTA, and six other types of benefits not traditionally included. These were discussed at a multi-country, multi-disciplinary, multi-stakeholder Value Forum. Participants at the Forum also offered a number of valuable insights into how further work could be approached in order to maximise both its practicality and its potential policy impact. These are summarised in the Briefing.

A two page summary of the briefing, written by Dr Chris Henshall and Professor Adrian Towse is available here.