Report highlights ‘spots of progress’ in a challenging landscape for new antibiotics

In an article for University of Minnesota’s Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP)’s news outlet, Chris Dall covers key takeaways from the recently released 2026 Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Benchmark. The article focuses on the lack of innovation in the sector and the need for the pharmaceutical industry to ensure that the few new drugs reach those who need them most.

The article highlights the recent approvals of two new antimicrobial products (zoliflodacin and gepotidacin) for treatment of uncomplicated gonorrhoea – which are mentioned in the report as bright spots amid a broader slowdown in innovation of AMR products.

It notes that the two medications are the first new oral treatment options for gonorrhoea in decades, and arrive at a time “when gonorrhoea cases are rising and current treatment options are becoming less effective.”

However, it also acknowledges that since the release of the 2021 AMR Benchmark, the number of pipeline candidates made by large research-based companies has fallen by more than one-third, from 92 to 60.

It notes that only two companies assessed in the report have detailed access plans for their antimicrobial products that address availability, affordability and supply in low- and middle-income countries, where AMR is most prevalent.

Underlining the importance of companies planning for access, Martijn van Gerven, the AMR Programme’s Research Manager at the Access to Medicine Foundation, told CIDRAP News: “With a small pipeline, it really is essential that these products reach the people who need them the most. Without access, these innovations are pretty useless for global health, and I think that’s something we really need to understand.”