This article, authored by the Global AMR R&D Hub and Dr. Stefan Schwartz from Charité – Universitätsmedizin, highlights the pressing challenge of antimicrobial resistance and its significant impact on cancer care. Economic challenges in antibiotic development demand coordinated efforts, push and pull incentives, and global cooperation to ensure a sustainable pipeline and address market obstacles. Despite recent approvals, the antibiotic development pipeline faces scientific, regulatory, and commercial challenges, in which we are losing the race against resistance.
Key points:
- In 2019, antibiotic-resistant infections caused more deaths than malaria or HIV, with projections of 10 million annual deaths by 2050.
- The consequences of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) on cancer patients, susceptible to infections due to immunosuppressive treatments, are severe, raising infection risks and treatment costs.
- The need for innovative ecosystems, policy tools, and global cooperation is crucial to ensure a sustainable pipeline, address market challenges, and safeguard cancer care amidst the growing threat of AMR.
