Pharmaceutical Journal: Evidence shows the antibiotics market is failing, but here is how it can be revived

In this article for the Pharmaceutical Journal, Research Programme Manager Fatema Rafiqi and Researcher Moska Hellamand explore the issues of antibiotics and antimicrobial resistance, delving into the reasons why, despite progress from pharmaceutical companies, change is not yet happening at the scale needed.

While there are no exact figures that capture the true burden of antmicrobial resistance (AMR), estimates show that 700,000 deaths each year can be attributed to the issue^[1]. Antibiotic resistance is a worldwide threat, but is generally higher in many low- and middle-income countries where access to newer, more effective antibiotics is limited^[2].

Access to effective antimicrobials is needed more urgently than ever by communities around the world. New medicines, especially antibiotics, must be developed to replace those that lose their effectiveness. However, to maintain effectiveness they must be used conservatively, to slow the rise of resistance in the future.

Tackling the problem of AMR demands the concerted efforts of multiple stakeholders, not least national governments, and the role for pharmaceutical companies is clear: to develop new medicines to replace ones that no longer work, make them available and accessible to those who need them, and find new ways to ensure antibiotics are produced and promoted responsibly.

Read the full article in the Pharmaceutical Journal.