BIO's Policy Pulse: Legislation to Fight AMR Superbugs is an Urgent Need
With the deadly threat of drug-resistant infections increasing daily, we desperately need actions to address the broken commercial marketplace for novel antimicrobials—including the PASTEUR Act, a novel pull incentive, and reforms to antimicrobial reimbursement—said a CEO speaking on behalf of the Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO) and the Antimicrobials Working Group (AWG) at a July 11 Senate hearing.
The natural progression of antimicrobial resistance has been accelerated by over-reliance on antibiotics, participants told the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Primary Health and Retirement Security Subcommittee during a hearing titled “Superbugs: The Impact of Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) on Modern Medicine.”
“Bacteria and fungi adapt and evolve over time and become resistant to these treatments—a phenomenon known as antimicrobial resistance (AMR),” said Christine Ann Miller, CEO of BIO member Melinta Therapeutics and chair of the Antimicrobials Working Group. “Overuse and misuse of current antibiotics accelerates AMR. For example, in the outpatient settings, the CDC (Centers for Disease Prevention and Control) estimates that one-third of antibiotics are used improperly.”
Bio.News: https://bio.news/latest-news/legislation-to-fight-amr-superbugs-is-an-urgent-need-bio-member-tells-senate-hearing/
July 12, 2023
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