Wellcome: A lifeline for antibiotic development
Jeremy Knox, policy & advocacy lead for drug-resistant infections at Wellcome, discusses the role of governments in stimulating antibiotic development and the AMR Action Fund. Knox writes, “High on the list of acute concerns is the continuing global spread of drug-resistant infections, ‘superbugs’ which can no longer be effectively treated by existing antibiotics. … Last week’s launch of the near $1 billion industry-led AMR Action Fund marks a major and much-needed step forward in our struggle with this problem and promises to provide a shot in the arm for antibiotic development. … Long-term sustainability still depends on governments stepping in to fairly incentivize the antibiotic innovation we all need. So far, the calls for them to do so have too often gone unheeded: now it is time for politicians to recognize that, like a COVID-19 vaccine, antibiotics are a medical innovation we can’t afford to live without” (7/13).