A recent report from the Access to Medicine Foundation focuses on five late-stage projects targeting some of the most severe drug-resistant pathogens, with the goal to favour access to newly-developed drugs by single patients who needs them. Late-stage R&D projects across the pipelines of GSK, F2G, Innoviva and Venatorx were monitored (gepotidacin, olorofim, zoliflodacin and cefepime-taniborbactam, respectively) as well as Pfizer’s recently approved aztreonam-avibactam (Emblaveo®). Four of the five companies analysed by the report (GSK, Pfizer, Innoviva and Venatorx) are initiating or conducting clinical trials involving children, a positive signal in moving towards closing the gap between adult and paediatric access. The analysis also included 113 low-and middle-income countries (LMICs). For only 5 (China, India, Mexico, South Africa and Thailand), concrete commitments for registration were identified, while many of the remaining 108 LMICs face high burdens of diseases targeted by the projects and could benefit from access to them. The report identifies opportunities and recommendations for the included companies and suggests actionable steps for peers and other global stakeholders in antimicrobial R&D to promote widespread adoption of advance access and stewardship planning.