Research projects connected to PLATINEA receive funding from the Swedish Research Council

Four members of PLATINEA’s leading group received funding from the Swedish research Council for research projects that aim to improve antibiotic use and availability.

Enrico Baraldi, Elisabet Nielsen, Pontus Naucler and Thomas Tängdén have been granted funds from the Swedish Research Council for five research projects.

Enrico Baraldi has been granted funding for a project that aims to identify how antibiotic related networks consisting of various organizations can change with the support of policies to reach a more sustainable value for antibiotics. The project aims to create a relevant foundation for policymakers and various stakeholders in the antibiotic field, to better understand and address the causes to the challenges that the antibiotic field is faced with.

Elisabet Nielsen received funding for an exciting project where time-lapse microscopy, image analysis, machine learning and PK/PD modeling are combined to provide support for individualized treatment with antibiotics. This combination of methods makes it possible to study and quantify the complex and dynamic interaction between bacteria and antibiotics at a cellular level and in real time. The method that is being developed will be used to identify both bacterial, and patient-specific factors of importance for optimal treatment effect for critically ill individuals with multidrug-resistant bacteria.

Pontus Naucler received two grants for two projects. One of the projects aims to create automate algorithms that can be used to increase unnecessary antibiotic treatments and predict which patients that are at risk to get a healthcare associated infection.

The other project aims to do the preparatory work for a randomized clinical trial (RCT) with the intent to compare empirical narrow-spectrum with broad-spectrum beta-lactam antibiotic treatment of non-severe community-acquired pneumonia (C AP) in hospitalized patients. The preparatory work consists of collecting information about how patients are treated for C AP in Swedish hospitals today, which bacteria and virus are the cause, patient outcome and to build the capacity in the hospitals for a clinical trial.

Thomas Tängdén has been granted funding for a randomized clinical trial that aims to compare narrow-spectrum antibiotics as a stepdown treatment for patient with febrile UTI with the standard of care (often broad-spectrum antibiotics). In total, 560 patients will be randomized to pivmecillinam 400 mg 4 times per day or standard of care. The trial will be performed in collaboration with local investigators at approximately hospitals in Sweden, Denmark and Norway and is planned to start in June 2025.