Threat Report 2013 | Antimicrobial Resistance | CDC
Hunting the Nightmare Bacteria | FRONTLINE | PBS
https://medium.com/p/892b57499e77
As a scientist who works in bioscience (but not antimicrobial drug development) I have to say that the trends are dire. Multiple outbreaks have occurred in hospital settings, the bugs are impossible to eradicate and the mortality rate is extremely high for those infected. Several of the emerging resistance genes are encoded by snippets of DNA that can be passed freely between even different species of bacteria as if they are simply upgrading their software. If something is not done soon (as in immediately), we may be looking at dramatic increases in the risks of operations and child birth within a decade, and possible entry into a post-antibiotic era in medicine (meaning pre-1940 levels of mortality due to infections) soon after.
Regulation will not suffice. The sources of this problem are global and the genes are already out there. However, the economics of drug development cannot support large scale privately funded efforts because what we need are new drugs to be developed (~$1 billion per drug) and then held in reserve, meaning not sold, until they are truly needed. By the time there is an economical market for these drugs we will already be in a world of hurt, and if we start only then, then it might take another decade or more before drugs come to market.
This is one area where the federal government needs to step in immediately with massive support specifically for development of new antibiotics by pharmaceutical companies. Some thing to the tune of $1 billion per year would be a start.
Hunting the Nightmare Bacteria | FRONTLINE | PBS
https://medium.com/p/892b57499e77
As a scientist who works in bioscience (but not antimicrobial drug development) I have to say that the trends are dire. Multiple outbreaks have occurred in hospital settings, the bugs are impossible to eradicate and the mortality rate is extremely high for those infected. Several of the emerging resistance genes are encoded by snippets of DNA that can be passed freely between even different species of bacteria as if they are simply upgrading their software. If something is not done soon (as in immediately), we may be looking at dramatic increases in the risks of operations and child birth within a decade, and possible entry into a post-antibiotic era in medicine (meaning pre-1940 levels of mortality due to infections) soon after.
Regulation will not suffice. The sources of this problem are global and the genes are already out there. However, the economics of drug development cannot support large scale privately funded efforts because what we need are new drugs to be developed (~$1 billion per drug) and then held in reserve, meaning not sold, until they are truly needed. By the time there is an economical market for these drugs we will already be in a world of hurt, and if we start only then, then it might take another decade or more before drugs come to market.
This is one area where the federal government needs to step in immediately with massive support specifically for development of new antibiotics by pharmaceutical companies. Some thing to the tune of $1 billion per year would be a start.
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