Superbug fight unites drug industry

In a declaration at the World Economic Forum in Davos, theycalled for coordinated efforts to cut unnecessary use ofantibiotics and support development of new ones, includingthrough changing drug prices and investing in research.

Any use of antibiotics promotes the development and spreadof so-called superbugs multi-drug-resistant infections thatcan evade the medicines designed to kill them.International alarm about the superbug threat is risingafter the discovery in China of a gene called mcr-1 that makesbacteria resistant to all known antibiotics.

Former Goldman Sachs chief economist Jim O'Neill was askedin 2014 by Britain's prime minister to conduct a full review ofthe problem and suggest ways to combat it.

In his initial report, he estimated antibiotic and microbialresistance could kill an extra 10 million people a year and costup to $100 trillion US by 2050 if it is not brought under control.

The Declaration on CombatingAntimicrobial Resistancecalls for steps including:

• Governments committing funding to implement the World HealthOrganization's Global Action Plan to create programs ensuring thathealth systems use antibiotics appropriately, along with increasinguse of fast diagnostic tests and boosting reimbursements for them toensure patients get the correct treatment.
• Better education of doctors and nurses on appropriate antibioticuse.
• Improved infection control through better hygiene, vaccinationand preventive treatments.
• Reduced used of antibiotics in livestock.
• Higher reimbursements for antibiotics and diagnostic tests indeveloped markets.
• More collaboration between researchers at drugmakers and thoseat universities and government.
• More access to antibiotics in countries around the world.

Britain's chief medical officer Sally Davies said thedeclaration was "a clear sign of industry's collectivecommitment to beating the threat of antimicrobial resistance."