Drug-Resistant Bacteria — Fresh Solutions on the Horizon?

New startups are rethinking antibiotics

In the year 1900, the average life span at birth was 47 years in the US. This number rose to 78.6 years in 2017. One of the reasons — antibiotics. Can you imagine if the antibiotics stop working?

Overuse of antibiotics has made many pathogenic bacteria resistant to antibiotics. The problem is serious enough for the CDC to list 18 drug-resistant microbes as urgent, serious, or concerning threats.

“The thoughtless person playing with

penicillin treatment is morally

responsible for the death of the man

who succumbs to infection with the

penicillin-resistant organism.

I hope this evil can be averted“— Sir Alexander Fleming

Doctors can prescribe antibiotics sparingly to prevent the rise of drug resistance. But what about bacteria that are already resistant? we need new antibiotics! but, the poor business case of antibiotics keeps big pharma away. Antibiotics are costly to develop with most of the “easy” drug targets already taken. Reduced prescription lowers the potential market of antibiotics. Payers and providers are often reluctant to cover new antibiotics at market rates. This further compounds the problem.