Stakeholders Urge Congress to Advance Antibiotic Development

The Pew Charitable Trusts, the Infectious Diseases Society of America, and dozens of other nonprofit and industry stakeholder groups sent a letter to Congress on May 8 encouraging lawmakers to enact a package of economic incentives in its next COVID-19 emergency relief package to stabilize the failing antibiotic market and address the challenges that hinder antibiotic development.

The organizations note that any such incentives must be paired with efforts to ensure that these drugs are used appropriately, including provision of federal funding to help hospitals establish antibiotic stewardship programs and report use and resistance data to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.