The House of Commons Standing Committee on Science and Research met on October 20, 2025, to study antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Witnesses were Kevin Stinson, Program Manager for Infection Prevention and Control at Waterloo Regional Health Network, representing Infection Prevention and Control Canada; Bettina Hamelin, President and CEO of Innovative Medicines Canada; Kim Neudorf, Patient Partner with Patients for Patient Safety Canada; and Jennifer Buckley, Senior Director of Regulatory Affairs and Clinical Research Transformation at Innovative Medicines Canada.
Kevin Stinson described AMR as a "silent pandemic," noting that nearly one in 10 Canadians admitted to acute care hospitals is colonized with at least one antimicrobial-resistant organism (ARO), and that these organisms can transfer resistance genes to other bacteria. He said surveillance programs lack the granularity to map transmission or inform local policies, and that infection control professionals often cannot access research dollars to develop data, especially in rural hospitals and long-term care. He recommended carving out a subset of research funding for small-scale, applied, knowledge-user-driven projects, expanding the infection control workforce through training grants, and building an integrated, multi-sector surveillance approach to understand transmission dynamics.
Bettina Hamelin stated that AMR is a present crisis, not a future threat, and that Canada secured access to only three of 18 new antibiotics launched globally between 2010 and 2021. She argued that regulatory and reimbursement processes are duplicative and slow, taking an average of two and a half years from Health Canada authorization to public formulary listing, and that the U.K., Italy and France have already implemented pull incentives while Canada has not. She urged the government to finalize a subscription-style pull incentive, adopt refinements proposed by the Canadian Antimicrobial Innovation Coalition, and have Health Canada rely on trusted international regulatory reviews to speed approvals. She disagreed with the suggestion to eliminate provincial roles, instead calling for a coordinated approach across all levels of government.
Kim Neudorf shared the story of a healthy 70-year-old who died after 419 days of hospital care due to MRSA and sepsis, with health care costs estimated at $750,000. She recommended supporting health promotion and infection prevention through personal agency and accountability in congregate settings, investing in rapid diagnostics, wearable technology, and built environments that reduce infection risk, and mandating infection prevention and control education for all long-term care staff. She also called for developing self-management resources for people living with AMR and for growing public awareness, noting that social demographics linked to AMR are underinvestigated and that sanitation access for vulnerable populations is a critical issue.
Jennifer Buckley added that Health Canada is working on reliance mechanisms and global collaboration through programs like Access, with the goal of making regulatory processes more efficient while maintaining scientific expertise. She noted that greater collaboration with regulators of similar scientific standing could improve the speed and effectiveness of bringing new antibiotics to Canada.
During questioning, Stinson noted that a pathogen called CPE, which causes bloodstream infections with about a 60% mortality rate, is rising in Canada, and that novel drugs targeting it are not available in the country. He said that misinformation and skepticism toward science, including from some politicians, undermines public trust and that decision-makers should listen to scientific experts. Hamelin stated that the pharmaceutical industry invests $3.2 billion annually in R&D in Canada, but that the lack of a predictable market structure deters innovation and that Canada is last in the G7 for time to reimburse medicines. She said that Canada's Drug Agency uses outdated pharmacoeconomic models that do not account for the full value of new medicines, and that the pan-Canadian Pharmaceutical Alliance and provincial negotiations add further delays.
No procedural debate, motions or votes occurred during the meeting.
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