Over the past three decades, the rapid rise of antimicrobial resistance and the lack of new antibiotics have created a perfect storm for global health and food systems. Antibiotic effectiveness is an endangered global common resource in urgent need of new solutions to protect existing drugs and to develop novel compounds.

This event brings together experts from the medical, natural, and social sciences to discuss both the status quo and new approaches to global drug development and stewardship. In addition to the current focus on using public money to reinvigorate private drug development, panellists will discuss alternatives such as a public buyout of existing patents and a long-term (inter)nationalisation of antibiotic development as well as solutions for the dilemma of curbing AMR and enhancing global access to effective antimicrobials.

Dr Andrew Singer (microbiologist, UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology), Dr Claas Kirchhelle (historian, Oxford Martin School), Dr Adam Roberts (microbiologist, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine) introduce their new publication on public options for antibiotic development in Lancet Infectious Diseases.

An expert panel then discuss the economic, social, and microbiological dimensions of drug development, stewardship, and infection control in the 20th and 21st centuries;

Moderator: Prof Jamie Lorimer (Geography, University of Oxford)

Prof Ellen Silbergeld (environmental and public health, Johns Hopkins University),

Dr Koen Pouwels (modeller and economist, University Oxford),

Prof Viviane Quirke (historian, Oxford Brookes University),

Prof Javier Lezaun (social scientist, Institute for Science, Innovation, and Society, Oxford)