Avoiding further antibiotic resistance of our current arsenal of antibiotics is one of the most effective ways to alleviate this crisis; however, the development of new antibiotics would definitely be necessary sooner or later. Novel drugs are being researched and discovered occasionally, where the slope for discovery only gets steeper.
The process of novel drug development is very complex and requires a tremendous investment of time (~10 years) and money (~$300 million).1 Leading pharmaceutical companies such as GlaxoSmithKline have already invested approximately $1 billion in antibiotic research for the past decade. Key partnerships are with other research bodies are also vital, as many companies are required to successfully development new antibiotics.2
The enormous investment of time and money has turned many large pharmaceutical companies away from antibiotic research and development. Companies such as Sanofi, Eli Lilly, and Bristol-Myers Squibb have yet to discover any new antibiotics since the 1990s.3
To counter this drug discovery drought, (88% drop from the 1980s), the United States Congress passed the GAIN (Generating Antibiotic Incentives Now) Act to lure companies back into research and development. They hope to develop at least 10 new antibiotics by the year of 2020.3
To make matters worse, most new antibiotics that are discovered are too similar to previously discovered ones and are rapidly prone to resistance. Researchers are required to search organisms living deep below the earth. 1
As antibiotic resistance worsens while novel antibiotic development slowly impedes, it is for the benefit of everyone to reduce the risk of resistance while supporting the development of antibiotic research. Consequently, we must support these research and development companies through the raising of awareness of antibiotic resistance and kind donations to the companies.
References:
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General Background: What can be done about Antibiotic Resistance? [Internet]. Emerald.tufts.edu. 2014 [cited 30 September 2016]. Available from: http://emerald.tufts.edu/med/apua/about_issue/what_can_be_done.shtml#5
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Antibiotics Research [Internet]. Gsk.com. 2014 [cited 15 November 2016]. Available from: http://www.gsk.com/en-gb/research/what-we-are-working-on/antibiotics-research/#incentivising-antibiotic-research
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Krans B. Few New Drugs: Why the Antibiotic Pipeline Is Running Dry [Internet]. Healthline.com. 2014 [cited 15 November 2016]. Available from: http://www.healthline.com/health/antibiotics/why-pipeline-running-dry
Picture: Supporting Scientific Research using Bitcoin [Internet]. 2016 [cited 15 November 2016]. Available from: http://www.bitcoingambling.net/supporting-scientific-research-using-bitcoin/
Antibiotic Resistance 