Press Coverage
(Swedish Presidency of the European Union website):
-Press Invitation: Göran Hägglund to take part in expert conference on antibiotics|
-Constructive dialogue on incentives for developing new antibiotics|
(FINCHANNEL.COM - Global News Channel):
-New antibiotics desperately needed as penicillin becomes obsolete|
(Time Magazine)
-A Looming Drug Crisis: The Dearth of New Antibiotics
(CNN.com)
-New research warns penicillin 'becoming obsolete'|
Statements
Professor Otto Cars, Director of Strama (The Swedish Strategic Programme Against Antibiotic Resistance)
Prof. Elias Mossialos and his team have contributed an extensive and seminal report Policies and Incentives for promoting innovation in antibiotic research which will be used as an important source document for the conference 'Innovative Incentives for Effective Antibacterials' organized by the Swedish Government during its Presidency of the EU. Antibiotics differ from other drugs. Their lifespan is limited due to the inevitable development of resistance and this process is clearly linked to the volume of use. The need for restricted use of these valuable medicines and the short treatment courses are among several factors that make the return of investment for antibiotic R&D less than e.g. for chronic diseases. During the last 35 years only a few new classes of antibiotics have been developed and the death toll due to resistant bacterial infections is now steadily increasing in the EU and globally.
As the net present value (NPV) for an antibiotic is about a tenth of that of a pain killer, Prof. Mossialos succinctly states that "the greatest challenge is to persuade the [pharmaceutical] companies to invest in a market with lower returns". The report gives a detailed account of how different financial stimulating factors could be applied to change the scene. I am convinced that this pioneering report will have a marked influence on future development in the field.
Göran Hägglund, Minister for Health and Social Affairs, Sweden:
The extensive report by Prof E Mossialos and his team at the London School of Economics and Political Science: Policies and Incentives for promoting innovation in antibiotic research is an outstanding contribution to the debate on a major health threat. It makes an excellent foundation and brings up suggestions for the Swedish presidency conference dedicated to the fact that the development of new antibiotics has to start again to ensure the cure of infections with resistant bacteria.