£100m donation to help develop novel livestock antibiotics
21 January 2021 |
Researchers want to develop new drugs for livestock, as well as promote responsible use of the antibiotics
A £100 million donation has been made to help establish a new initiative which seeks to develop bespoke antibiotics for livestock.
Ineos, a UK-based multinational chemicals company, has donated the huge sum to the Ineos Oxford University Institute (IOI) for antimicrobial research.
The institute said it would focus on designing novel antimicrobials just for livestock, as well as exploring new human drugs.
It said the majority of global antibiotic consumption by volume was used for agriculture, and drug use in animals was contributing significantly to their lessening effectiveness in humans.
Last modified on Wed 20 Jan 2021 23.34 EST
An initiative to develop bespoke antibiotics for livestock has raised fears that it could be a “techno-fix” for more intensive farming.
Mixed reactions have followed news that Ineos, a global petrochemical manufacturer, has donated £100m to establish the Ineos Oxford University Institute (IOI) for antimicrobial research.
The institute said it would focus on designing novel antimicrobials solely for animals because the majority of global antibiotic consumption by volume was in agriculture, and antibiotic use in animals was contributing significantly to their lessening effectiveness in humans.
“[There is] a shocking overlap between some classes of antibiotics used in animals and in humans, so we need to separate the two. Examples include penicillin and the tetracycline-type antibiotics,” Christopher Schofield, IOI project lead and head of organic chemistry at the University of Oxford, said.