Everyone knows about antibiotic resistance. In fact, the term “antimicrobial resistance” even has its own acronym: AMR. With all the attention and new antibiotics being developed, why are the number of deaths from infections still the same year after year? Our commentary was just published in an international medical journal, and we explain that the solution is for health professionals and drug developers to focus on which treatments are most beneficial to patients, instead of which drugs can kill bacteria in a test tube. Unfortunately, drugs that look effective in a test tube often have side effects that are too unpleasant for patients to tolerate. And the patient’s immune system is also key to fighting an infection. We propose the kinds of research that will result in treatments that save more lives, and it would require a major change in how the FDA regulates antibiotics. We are optimistic that the new FDA Commissioner will be interested. Read our article here.
