Pharma already addressing ‘antibiotic resistance crisis’, says AstraZeneca

Hannah Blake

pharmaphorum

Global pharmaceutical giant, AstraZeneca, has published its views on the recent report published by England’s Chief Medical Officer on the rise in drug-resistant bacteria being a worldwide threat to public health.

The demand for new, effective and well-tolerated antibiotics is on the increase and very few new antibiotics are being brought to the market. This is because of the “challenging environment” says a blog post by AstraZeneca, as well as “scientific difficulties surrounding antibacterial research, the changing regulatory environment, and the overall value proposition for payers.”

While AstraZeneca “applauds Professor Dame Sally Davies and the content and timing of [the 11th March] report”, the pharma company insists both itself and the industry are already working on ways in which to tackle this global issue, such as Innovative Medicines Initiative’s NewDrugs4BadBugs program.

“In response to the growing global demand for new antibiotics, AstraZeneca is one of the few large pharmaceutical companies involved in the research and development of new therapies addressing the crisis of antibiotic resistance.

“AstraZeneca, along with our industry partners, is working with governments and regulators globally to help get these much needed antibiotics into the hands of the medical community. We are also working with governments to drive awareness of responsible antibiotic prescribing.”

Dr John Rex, VP Clinical Infection at AstraZeneca.