If the government does not incentivize drugmakers to develop new antibiotics, the World Health Organization (WHO) fears that drug-resistant infections could kill upwards of 10 million people annually by 2050, according to Becker’s Hospital Review.
About 700,000 people die every year due to ineffective antibiotics and most antibiotics that are being developed aren’t targeting the most dangerous, drug-resistant infections. Currently, drugmakers are less inclined to take the initiative to create new antibiotics due to the high costs associated with developing them, and the fact that physicians prefer older, cheaper ones.
According to Sarah Paulin, technical officer of antimicrobial resistance and innovation at the WHO, “We still have a window of opportunity, but we need to ensure there is investment now so we don’t run out of options for future generations.” The New York Times noted that congress is considering a bill that would “support the market for antibiotics but it has not advanced despite bipartisan support”.
