Challenges to Antibiotic Pipeline Make News: IDSA Weighs In
When the antibiotic drug maker Achaogen declared bankruptcy this week, an IDSA news release explained the challenges facing research and development of new infection fighting drugs and a CIDRAP article featuring IDSA Treasurer Helen Boucher, MD, FIDSA highlighted the concerns the bankruptcy raises over the antibiotic pipeline. An April 17 opinion piece in STAT by Dr. Boucher and Kevin Outterson, JD, a professor of law at Boston University and executive director of CARB-X, explained how Medicare payment rules contribute to these challenges. And an April 10 opinion piece in The Hill by Dr. Boucher and Allan Coukell of The Pew Charitable Trusts discussed actions policy makers could take to address those challenges and the growing threat of antibiotic resistance. Also this week, IDSA President Cynthia Sears, MD, FIDSA, called for a response across federal agencies to spur development of new antibiotics and to protect the ones we have in this letter to The New York Times. And earlier this month, IDSA’s Senior Vice President of Public Policy and Government Relations Amanda Jezek spoke with Healio Primary Care Today about priorities IDSA encourages Acting FDA Commissioner Norman E. “Ned” Sharpless, MD, to address, including increased antibiotic research and development.
More IDSA and ID in the News
In addition to media outreach on challenges to the antibiotic pipeline, IDSA also made news with other major media outlets on a variety of infectious diseases topics. Two recent interviews featuring IDSA’s media spokespersons are highlighted below.
NPR spoke with IDSA Board member Jeffrey Duchin, MD, FIDSA on the causes of the recent comeback of medieval diseases.
CNN spoke with IDSA media spokesperson Amesh Adalja, MD, FIDSA about a suspected anthrax outbreak in wildlife in Kenya and the risk it poses to humans.
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