More needed to combat drug-resistant pathogens

Can a meeting of global leaders in New York in September be enough to convince researchers and companies that it is worth their while to create new replacement drugs alongside improving access to tests and treatments? 

Members of the global health community are desperately hoping that the answer is yes, especially after a list published by the WHO showed that there were too few antibacterials in development to fight the rise of drug-resistant pathogens. The consequences of which are best demonstrated by the 1.27 million deaths caused by such pathogens and the resulting economic cost of close to £765bn. 

But with there being clear evidence that drug-resistant pathogens are on the rise, why is there a lack of research and funding for new drugs that could provide the difference between life and death for millions?

The answer to that as with everything seems to be an apparent lack of financial success for companies within the space. 

The WHO has identified 112 commercial institutions conducting preclinical trials to develop new products against these new pathogens, but of these 112, 97 had fewer than 50 employees. 

Why?

Well, if one listens to industry insiders, the few companies that have been successful bringing new products to market have done poorly financially, with many of them going bankrupt. This lack of financial stability deters many commercial investors and subsequently contributes to a significant brain drain from the sector, with researchers moving onto other fields when funding disappears or the company collapses. 

So, what’s the solution?

For some, incentives are needed to push innovation including grants to support early-stage research from governments and the third sector alongside incentives that pull drugs through to market and guarantee companies a return on their investment, even if the antibiotics are not used but held in reserve as a last resort for particularly severe infections. 

And for countries where it is harder to access drugs and vaccines, it is necessary to ensure that new innovations such as diagnostics and antibiotics are accessible and affordable in all countries.