New Coalition to Raise Awareness of Superbugs

A coalition to raise public awareness of the threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) called Working to Fight AMR was launched on Aug. 21, 2019 by scientists, public policy experts, and biotech industry leaders. Along with public education, the coalition will also work to advocate for policies and incentives that slow the spread of bacteria and fungi resistant to antimicrobials, commonly called “superbugs,” and incentivize companies to research and develop new antimicrobials.

Superbugs kill as many as 162,000 Americans each year, making antimicrobial resistance the third-leading cause of death in the country, according to the coalition. Without more effective antibiotics, the death rate for AMR has the potential to rise to 10 million people a year by 2050.

"Antimicrobial resistance already poses a grave threat to human health-and it is a looming public health emergency," said Greg Frank, PhD, director of infectious disease policy at the Biotechnology Innovation Organization, in a press release. "Working to Fight AMR will advocate for policies that create a sustainable ecosystem and boost investment in this deeply neglected area."

Industry leaders involved in the coalition include: Aleks Engel, PhD, director of REPAIR Impact Fund at Novo Holdings; Julie Louise Gerberding, MD, MPH, former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and executive vice-president and chief patient officer at Merck & Co; Eric Kimble, chief commercial officer at Entasis Therapeutics; Werner Lanthaler, PhD, CEO at Evotec; Evan Loh, MD, CEO at Paratek Pharmaceuticals and chairman of the Antimicrobials Working Group; Kevin Outterson, co-director of the health law program and professor at Boston University School of Law; Ruben Tommasi, PhD, chief scientific officer at Entasis Therapeutics; Zachary Zimmerman, PhD, CEO at Forge Therapeutics.

Source: Working to Fight AMR

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