Antibacterial Development: a Changing Landscape: Outdated regulatory approaches and company attrition are giving way to renewed interest in antibiotics and innovative ways to evaluate them in the clinic

Abstract

With annual deaths from antibiotic-resistant infections estimated at 23,000 in the United States (US), 25,000 in Europe, and much higher elsewhere, antibiotic resistance is among the most significant threats to human health. While overall public awareness of the problem does not reflect its gravity, increasing recognition of its magnitude by health authorities has led to several recent initiatives to address this crisis. Proposed solutions include eliminating use of antibiotics for growth promotion in livestock, enforcing antibiotic stewardship, improving surveillance, and ensuring a steady, robust pipeline of new, effective treatments, the latter of which is the focus of this article.