Antimicrobial resistance is “one of the top ten public health threats confronting humanity,” but it is hoped that the NHS agreement with pharmaceutical companies will serve as a model for other countries to follow in combating infections.
New anti-superbug drugs will be given to hundreds of patients across England as part of a deal that is expected to “save lives and strike a blow” in the global fight against antimicrobial resistance.
The new “superbug-busting drugs” will be given to approximately 1,700 patients per year on the NHS for infections that have become resistant to traditional antibiotics.
The NHS has reached an agreement with pharmaceutical companies to encourage the development of new drugs.
According to Public Health England data, approximately 65,000 people per year develop drug-resistant infections known as superbugs, equating to 178 people per day.
Experts have previously warned that the development of new drugs to treat infections has stalled, raising concerns that even routine procedures could become lethal if the current set of medications becomes ineffective.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), antimicrobial resistance is “one of the top ten public health threats confronting humanity.
The NHS will pay up to £10 million per year for up to ten years under the agreement.
The first drugs to be released are cefiderocol and ceftazidime-avibactam, which are manufactured by Shionogi and Pfizer, respectively.
‘Gives thousands of patients hope.’
The agreement “provides a template” for other countries, according to Amanda Pritchard, chief executive of the NHS in England, and “gives new hope to thousands of patients who previously had no treatment options left.”
“Superbug-busting drugs on the NHS will save lives and make a significant contribution to the global fight against antimicrobial resistance,” she added.
“Until now, antibiotic innovation has been limited, but this trailblazing NHS subscription scheme aims to change that by collaborating with pharmaceutical companies to ensure that these superbug-fighting drugs are ready and available to those patients who need them the most.”
According to the WHO, without a steady supply of effective drugs, “the success of modern medicine in treating infections, including during major surgery and cancer chemotherapy, would be jeopardized.”
Antibiotics, antivirals, antifungals, and antiparasitics are examples of antimicrobials.
According to the World Health Organization, resistance occurs when “bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites change” and then fail to respond to medicines, making infections “harder to treat and increasing the risk of disease spread, severe illness, and death.
