In Vitro Diagnostic (IVD) tests to combat antimicrobial resistance in community-acquired low-respiratory tract infections (CA-LRTI)

Overview

Antimicrobial resistance could be one of the main causes of excess mortality in the future decades. Fighting antimicrobial resistance is an imperative objective for the entire scientific community in the interest of society worldwide. In this battle, it is crucial to reduce inappropriate antibiotic prescription/consumption by improving diagnostic tools and optimizing their use. Currently, antibiotic therapy is usually started on an empiric basis since usual microbiological tests can provide results in a frame of four hours to five days in most cases. This leads to frequent overuse and misuse of antibiotics, both being a leading cause of antimicrobial resistance and extra costs for health care systems.

The identification of feasible strategies to improve antibiotic stewardship is one of the goals of ECRAID (European Clinical Research Alliance for Infectious Diseases). ECRAID is a European clinical research network (funded through H2020 call SC1- HCO-08-2018 – No. 965313, ECRAID-Base). ECRAID aims at increasing efficiency for testing and developing new diagnostic, preventive, and/or therapeutic strategies and therapies, and improving responsiveness to new public health threats created by emerging infectious diseases.

The present Research Seminar would be a complement to the existing ECRAID-Base activities and would not be only beneficial for the ECRAID consortium members but also for ERS, ESCMID and Value-dx members involved in the field of AMR.

Objectives

The aims of this ERS research seminar are:

• To review the most relevant challenges related to the implementation of IVD in the fight against AMR in respiratory infections
• To increase awareness regarding AMR and potential strategies to control it in the future
• To identify the main barriers to IVD implementation and feasible solutions or action plans
• To facilitate the discussion in round tables among faculty, experts, and Early Career Members
• To develop a scientific publication highlighting the most important findings and points from the Research Seminar

Outcomes

• A seminar report, including a roadmap for future clinical research to evaluate the clinical utility of IVD tests for respiratory tract infections, will be submitted to the ERJ and ESCMID journals.
• An opportunity to network with academia, policymakers, and pharmaceutical industry representatives. The scientific and commercial interaction between different parties is crucial in order to assess the clinical feasibility of IVD tests and cost-effectiveness in real scenarios.
• Produce a framework for future public, private, or public-private grant applications on the clinical utility of IVD diagnostics for respiratory tract infections and health economic models.