Longitude Prize on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR)

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We have a winner!

The Longitude Prize on AMR is an £8m prize to incentivise the development of novel point-of-care diagnostic tests that rapidly and accurately identify the presence of a bacterial infection and the right antibiotic to prescribe.

The goal is to replace the 2-3 day lab test process that doctors and patients must currently endure, and end “just in case” prescribing that is prevalent as a result which promotes the development of antibiotic resistance.

Antibiotic resistance is one of the biggest challenges of our era and is ripe for innovation. By 2050 it is predicted antibiotic resistant infections will cause 10m deaths annually.

Following a decade of developments, and entries from more than 250 teams around the world, Challenge Works is proud to announce that the £8m Longitude Prize on AMR has been won. The game-changing solution is a novel point-of-care diagnostic tests that rapidly and accurately identify the presence of a bacterial infection and the right antibiotic to prescribe.

Congratulations to the winner, the PA-100 AST by Sysmex Astrego!

Learn more about the winners

0 million

global deaths in 2019 were estimated to be directly due to bacterial AMR
$0 trillion

is the estimated amount for additional healthcare costs in the US by 2050
0 countries

had developed AMR national action plans aligned with the GAP as of November 2023

Learn how the device works

How the Challenge came to be

In 2014, Challenge Works, which exists to design challenge prizes that help solve pressing problems, initiated a competition for the UK public to decide the focus of the new Longitude Prize. Working with 100s of scientists, academics and others, the following issues were identified:

Antibiotics – How to prevent the rise of resistance to antibiotics?
Dementia – How to help people with dementia live independently for longer?
Flight – How to fly without damaging the environment?
Food – How to ensure everyone has nutritious sustainable food?
Paralysis – How to restore movement to those with paralysis?
Water – How to ensure everyone has access to safe, clean water?

The choice of challenges was presented on BBC Horizon in 2014, with a poll opened to the public afterwards. The winner, Antibiotics, was subsequently announced on The One Show, on BBC One and formally welcomed by then Prime Minister David Cameron.

Learn more about the history of the Longitude Prize

The Judges

Along with the Longitude Prize’s Advisory Panel the Longitude Committee is responsible for on-going prize consultation and will, ultimately, judge and decide which entry should win.