• With Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR)  on the rise, a lancet study predicts that about 39 million mortalities worldwide will occur due to superbugs between 2025 and 2050 unless appropriate measures are taken.

• The reasons behind the collapse of the pipeline of newer antibiotics include:

  • Ineffective business models where inadequate funding hampers the ongoing research in the area.

  • Newer antibiotics are deployed very conservatively to tackle AMR.

• Way forward:

  • Push and pull incentivization of antibiotic-related studies where studies are funded in the early stages through “push incentives” while “pull incentives” help keep the manufacturers of these newer antibiotic afloat irrespective of sale of the drug in the market.

  • Prohibiting the sale of over the counter antibiotics globally to tackle AMR

  • Improving diagnostics to promote early detection of the type of micro-organism, so only relevant antibiotics are prescribed.

  • Training of health personnel to advocate judicious use of antibiotics.

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