ReportNew antibiotic to kill drug-resistant bacteria
The Guardian has reported a breakthrough in the battle to combat Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR). AMR is widely feared to be the next but far more devastating disease outbreak than Covid. A new antibiotic, Zosurabalpin, is able to kill Gram-negative bacteria. Three remarks must be added to this good news: 1) this new antibiotic must be protected by Governments and the European Commission’s Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA) against overuse which will create antibacterial resistance; 2) possibly through a Public-Private Partnership through HERA the rapid development of the antibiotic must both be promoted and protected; and 3) the article published in The Guardian refers to the stalled development of bacteriophages to combat AMR, apparently to protect pharmaceutical interests. HERA must use its funds and policy-making capacity to push and fund phage development.
Read the full article ‘Scientists hail new antibiotic that can kill drug-resistant bacteria’, by Linda Geddes in The Guardian, 3 January 2024
