Focused Antibiotics

Focused Antibiotics is a Wellcome Leap program built to rethink how existing antibiotics are used against urinary tract infections, lower respiratory infections, and acute ear infections. Its core problem is familiar but difficult: current therapies can preserve clinical efficacy while still causing major collateral damage to the gut microbiome. The 2026 solicitation used a two-stage process. Applicants first submitted a 15-page abstract for feedback, then a 25-page full proposal. The program pool is $50 million, work is expected to begin late in 2026 after contract signature, and the call was open to teams from any legal jurisdiction. Individuals were not eligible, but universities, nonprofits, research organizations, and companies could apply. The best fit is for teams that can reformulate known antibiotics rather than chase a new drug class. That means proposals need clinical credibility, a microbiome-aware design, and enough execution discipline to move cleanly through a staged review process. As a first-cycle program, it has no prior performer history to point to, so the proposal itself has to carry the case.

Each grant below is a distinct funding opportunity with its own eligibility, scope, and deliverables.