New technology and innovation may help turn the corner on antibiotic resistance.
The antibiotic resistance crisis poses a threat to modern medicine. Antibiotic-resistant infections have become alarmingly common, and experts warn that if nothing is done we could face a future where minor injuries and routine surgeries carry deadly risks.
Society needs a paradigm shift in how infections are managed. New technology that now makes it possible to develop low-cost, scalable preventive biologics may be part of the solution.
The Challenge: No Incentive for Investors to Fund Novel Antibiotics
A big driver of the crisis is the broken economic incentive for new antibiotics. Developing a new antibiotic is costly, slow, and complex—no less so than any other drug. But unlike many other drugs, new antibiotics must compete with inexpensive generics. Worse, doctors rightly worry about further expanding resistance, so prefer to keep the new products in reserve. This is understandable, but an unintended side effect is low sales volumes.
This combination is commercial suicide.
