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The politics of alter-biotic innovation: Examining the making of alternative regimes of biomedical innovation in response to the global health crisis of antimicrobial resistance

Project description

The politics of antibiotics innovation: visions for a viable, safe and sustainable future

The ERC-funded ALTERBIOTIC project explores the pressing global health crisis of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) from the perspective of the politics of innovation. The project examines how a new biomedical research field is emerging to address the ‘broken system’ of antibiotic R&D. It focuses on the actors and stakeholders seeking to develop a radically altered antimicrobial innovation ecosystem by establishing alternative frameworks for biomedical research, development, commercialisation and deployment of new therapies. ALTERBIOTIC investigates the visions, challenges and barriers facing this emerging field in its efforts to create a viable innovation ecosystem that supports a safe, equitable and sustainable approach to tackling AMR.

Objective

Modern antibiotics greatly contributed to fighting infectious diseases. However, today we face a resurgence of deadly drug-resistant microbes due the excessive use of antibiotics – a phenomenon known as antimicrobial resistance (AMR). AMR is not only a pressing public health problem, but a unique and fundamental crisis that profoundly challenges existing regimes of pharmaceutical innovation that have for long provided societies with powerful, easily available antibiotics. However, long-term solutions to AMR not only require new potent drugs, but also alternative scientific, economic and regulatory approaches in the development, distribution and deployment of antibiotic therapies – captured here by the term ‘alter-biotic innovation’.
Yet, much-needed social science research on this complex innovation challenge is glaringly absent. ALTERBIOTIC will break new ground by developing the unique research perspective of ‘alter-biotic innovation’ to conceptualize and investigate how alternative approaches are being envisioned, negotiated and developed to overcome the limitations of existing antibiotic regimes. It will focus on the major antimicrobial partnership initiatives launched in response to AMR. In addition to product development, these initiatives drive a broader normative and political agenda: to radically rethink and alter regimes governing the development, valuation, regulation and use of antimicrobials in more sustainable and equitable ways.
ALTERBIOTIC conducts a multi-sited analysis of alter-biotic innovation, based on qualitative-interpretive methodologies and ethnographic sensibility. It employs an ambitious case study design integrating ethnographic vignettes with in-depth case studies through a combination of document analysis, interviews and participant observation.
This research not only provides a fresh perspective to the social studies of AMR, but also novel approaches to study ‘innovation societies’ amid the multiple sustainability crises they confront.

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Keywords

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Call for proposal

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(opens in new window) ERC-2024-STG

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Host institution

UNIVERSITAT WIEN
Net EU contribution

Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.

€ 1 499 173,00
Address
UNIVERSITATSRING 1
1010 WIEN
Austria

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Region
Ostösterreich Wien Wien
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
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Total cost

The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.

€ 1 499 173,00

Beneficiaries (1)

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