Pharma giants to unveil major $1 billion venture to push novel antibiotics
This article by Ed Silverman for STAT looks at upcoming efforts by a number of large drug companies to acquire or invest in small antibotic makers and their medicines in the midst of growing concerns about antibiotic resistance.
In the article, the author sets the stage for an upcoming move, due to be announced on July 9th, for a variety of large pharmaceutical companies to take on the "antibiotic innovation challenge." The author notes that this $1 billion initiative will be supported by the World Health Organization and the European Investment Bank.
The article refers to the Access to Medicine Foundation's 2020 Antimicrobial Resistance Benchmark findings that antibiotic production has increased only slightly in the past two years, with a few small and medium-sized companies leading the production of these drugs.