ICYMI: Antimicrobial resistance spotlighted as growing public health threat

On June 28, PhRMA Chief Operating Officer Lori Reilly joined Executive Director of CARB-X, Kevin Outterson, Esq., and Interim Secretariat Lead of the Global Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) R&D Hub, Dr. Ralf Sudbark in a discussion about the changes that are needed to combat the threat of AMR. The conversation occurred at Foreign Policy’s Global Health Forum.

AMR is a looming crisis that, without urgent action, has the potential to be the number one cause of death by 2050. Even now, AMR is directly associated with at least 1.27 million deaths per year, globally. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates AMR affects 3 million Americans each year, resulting in 48,000 deaths. Recent evidence confirms the growing fear about the link between COVID-19 and increasing AMR is well-founded. Not only have these infections become more common as a result of the pandemic but they have also become more deadly.

To address this growing health threat, we must create a more sustainable environment for antimicrobial R&D and commercialization. The advancement of AMR threatens medical innovations that require antimicrobial medicines such as organ transplants, cancer therapy and joint replacements. We can mitigate this threat by passing the PASTEUR Act, commonsense legislation that offers subscription contracts to manufacturers and incentivizes companies to develop antimicrobial medicines.

To learn more about the PASTEUR Act and this critical issue, visit PhRMA.org/AMR.