Pipeline of new drugs to fight superbugs is ‘worryingly thin’, experts warn

In an article for the Irish Examiner, Julia Kollewe covers the release of the 2026 AMR Benchmark, and raises awareness about the growing problem of drug-resistant infections.

The article highlights one of the report’s key takeaways – that the number of projects in development by large pharma companies has shrunk significantly (from 92 to 60) in the last five years, when the 2021 iteration of the report was released.

Jayasree K. Iyer, CEO of the Access to Medicine Foundation, is quoted: “Overall, however, the R&D pipeline remains worryingly thin, and industry investment has lost momentum,” describing drug resistance as the single greatest threat to healthcare worldwide.

It also notes the report’s finding that GSK is leading the way in AMR research and development (R&D) with 30 projects and is one of just three large, research-based pharmaceutical companies that continue to invest in this area.