Superbug-busting drugs will be rolled out on the NHS to help stop routine operations becoming fatal within a decade.
A world-first subscription deal will pay pharma firms to keep drugs in reserve to tackle the most serious infections that have become resistant to antibiotics.
NHS England announced around 1,700 patients per year with severe bacterial infections will be eligible for the drugs, called ceftazidime–avibactam and cefiderocol, manufactured by Pfizer and Shionogi.
It comes after many drugs firms closed down their antibiotic research divisions because the drugs became less profitable than others.
They need to be used sparingly to prevent resistance - meaning less are sold.
Currently resistant superbugs cause 12,000 deaths a year in Britain.
NHS England boss Amanda Pritchard said: “Superbug-busting drugs on the NHS will save lives and strike a blow in the global battle against antimicrobial resistance.
“Until now, innovation in antibiotics has been limited, but this pioneering NHS subscription scheme, aims to turn the tide by working with pharmaceutical firms to make sure we have these superbug-battling drugs ready and available to those patients who need them most.
“This world-leading agreement not only provides a template for other countries to follow, incentivising antimicrobial drug innovation globally, as we collectively deal with this threat to modern medicine and public health, but also gives new hope to thousands of patients who previously had no treatment options left.”
Around 65,000 people a year develop drug-resistant infections equating to 178 people per day. The very young and old are most at risk due to lower immunity.
Experts warn that if we do not develop new antibiotics now in 10 to 15 years many routine operations could be fatal.
Only two new classes of antibiotics have been introduced in the last 40 years.
The new drugs, announced by Ms Pritchard in a speech at the NHS Confed Expo conference in Liverpool, will be subject to stricter rules on who is able to receive them in order to ensure they continue to work effectively. NICE had previously confirmed it had developed the subscription deal for drugs tackling superbugs.
An Oxford University study this year found antibiotic resistance currently causes 1.2 million deaths globally - and this is on the rise.
Patients undergoing routine treatments for cancer as well as organ transplants and hip and knee replacements need antibiotics to prevent infection.
England’s previous chief medical officer Sally Davies warned “the world is facing an antibiotic apocalypse” if the drugs were not stopped being overused and new versions developed.
This first-of-its-kind NHS scheme means pharmaceutical firms will receive a fixed yearly fee in order to incentivise funding for innovation that can generate a pipeline of new antibiotics for NHS patients.
It is the first time any health system in the world has successfully assessed the value of an antimicrobial in this way.
NHS Medical Director Sir Stephen Powis, said: “This is a huge milestone in the country’s quest to tackle the increasing global threat of antimicrobial resistance and it is fantastic that the NHS has been able to lay down the footprint to tackle this and deliver a revolutionary deal two years ahead of the target set out by Government in 2019.
“Tens of thousands of people suffer from drug-resistant superbugs every single year in England and this deal will offer hope to those who have had limited or no success with current treatments.”
