GSK and the Fleming Initiative unite to target AMR with advanced AI
18 November 2025 - London, UK
GSK and the Fleming Initiative announced six coordinated research programmes to slow the rise of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Backed by £45m in funding, the work brings together scientists from Imperial College London, GSK, and partners to apply advanced AI, large-scale automation, and new clinical approaches to priority pathogens identified by WHO.
The programmes start by early 2026, run for three years, and create around 50 dedicated scientific and academic roles focused entirely on AMR. Targets include Gram-negative bacteria, Aspergillus, and Staphylococcus aureus (including MRSA).
Why this matters
The October 2025 WHO GLASS report shows roughly one in six lab-confirmed bacterial infections are now resistant to antibiotics. Projections suggest annual deaths associated with AMR could rise 74.5% from 4.71 million in 2021 to 8.22 million by 2050. For context and methods, see the WHO GLASS initiative.
Six Grand Challenges
- New antibiotics for Gram-negative infections: Overcome cell envelope barriers and efflux pumps in organisms such as E. coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae using data-rich AI/ML design and high-throughput experimentation.
- Fungal drug discovery: Identify new targets against Aspergillus with AI-guided approaches, expanding beyond the four current antifungal classes and addressing rising resistance.
- Immune response modelling for vaccine insights: Generate human-relevant data on Staphylococcus aureus infection and immunity, starting with controlled surgical site infection models to inform vaccine design.
- Predictive AI for AMR emergence and spread: Link disease surveillance and environmental data to build models that forecast where and how resistance patterns evolve.
- Smarter antibiotic prescribing: Run an innovative clinical trial to optimise how and when antibiotics are prescribed to improve outcomes and slow resistance.
- Policy, public engagement, and R&D momentum: Turn international research data into actionable guidance, prevention strategies, and sustained investment to keep pace with AMR.
What's different about this collaboration
The Fleming Initiative-established by Imperial College London and Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust-integrates laboratory science, clinical practice, policy work, and public engagement. GSK became the first founding partner in 2024, pledging £45m and co-leading these Grand Challenges with Imperial experts.
A central aim is to generate and share high-value datasets for the community. The teams will make new chemical-structure, permeability, efflux, and phenotype data available alongside AI/ML models so more groups can iterate faster on viable antimicrobial candidates.
Deep dives: three scientific fronts
1) Cracking Gram-negative defences. Chemists, microbiologists, and AI specialists at Imperial's Drug Discovery Hub will work with GSK and Agilent Technologies to systematically study cell entry and efflux. Large-scale automation will produce diverse, quality-controlled datasets to train models that prioritise compounds with better intracellular accumulation and antibacterial activity.
2) Finding new antifungal targets. Severe Aspergillus infections reach mortality rates above 46% in high-risk ICU patients. With resistance eroding the four existing drug classes, the programme will pinpoint fungal vulnerabilities and propose tractable mechanisms for hit-to-lead efforts.
3) Human-relevant immunity to S. aureus. Previous S. aureus vaccines have struggled without detailed human data on pathogen behaviour and immune dynamics. The new studies will map early infection events and host responses in strictly controlled settings to help define vaccine correlates and candidate profiles.
Leadership perspectives
Professor Lord Ara Darzi, Head of the Fleming Initiative: "Through our convening power, we have the world-leading expertise, facilities, capacity and vision in place to be able to launch these ambitious Grand Challenges… We hope this research will be a beacon for the global scientific community and highlight the urgent need for collaborative efforts to tackle the rising global threat of antimicrobial resistance."
Tony Wood, Chief Scientific Officer, GSK: "Together, with scaled datasets, emerging drug modalities and AI-driven models, we will open up new approaches for the discovery of novel antibiotics as well as anticipate and outpace the development of resistance to transform the treatment and prevention of serious infections."
Professor Hugh Brady, President of Imperial College London: "Antimicrobial resistance is a global challenge that no single lab or institution can solve alone… This is convergence science in action and will ensure antimicrobials continue to work for future generations."
Professor Tim Orchard, Chief Executive of Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust: "We urgently need new solutions and interventions for tackling drug-resistant infections, which will only be achieved if we pool our expertise."
Clinical impact and policy reach
Alongside discovery science, the work includes a clinical trial to refine prescribing decisions and reduce unnecessary antibiotic exposure. Policy, public engagement, and prevention-focused projects will help convert research insights into practice across healthcare systems.
Data and insights will be shared broadly to stimulate new medicines and vaccines worldwide. The launch aligns with World AMR Awareness Week and marks 80 years since the Nobel Prize for penicillin-an apt reminder that progress depends on collective action.
About the Fleming Initiative, GSK, and Imperial
The Fleming Initiative (Imperial College London and Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, established in 2022) brings scientists, clinicians, policymakers, commercial partners, and the public together to deliver equitable AMR solutions at scale.
GSK is a global biopharma company focused on uniting science, technology, and talent to get ahead of disease together. The company's portfolio includes assets against priority pathogens identified by WHO and the US CDC.
Imperial College London is a global top-ten university for STEMB with a long track record of translational impact. Learn more at imperial.ac.uk.
Cautionary note on forward-looking statements
This announcement includes forward-looking statements subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual outcomes to differ materially. These include factors described in GSK's Annual Report on Form 20-F for 2024 and Q3 2025 results.
References
- Global burden of bacterial antimicrobial resistance in 2019: a systematic analysis. The Lancet, 2022. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(21)02724-0
- Denning DW. Global incidence and mortality of severe fungal disease. Lancet Infect Dis. 2024. DOI: 10.1016/S1473-3099(23)00692-8
- Global mortality associated with 33 bacterial pathogens in 2019: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019. The Lancet, 2022. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(22)02185-7
Your membership also unlocks:
