The antibiotic development pipeline has improved since 2013, but more actions must be taken to address antibiotic resistance, according to a report published in Clinical Infectious Diseases.
The report serves as a progress update for the Infectious Diseases Society of America's 10 x '20 initiative, which aims for 10 new systemic antibacterial agents to earn FDA approval by 2020. IDSA released its last antibiotic pipeline status report in 2013.
Four takeaways from the report:
1. The amount of antibiotics approved annually in the U.S. has increased since 2013, likely due to more financial incentives and increased regulatory flexibility, researchers noted.
2. However, most new approvals involved modification of an existing antibiotic class, rather than the creation of a new antibiotic class.
3. Researchers also noted large drug companies are abandoning antibiotic research, while smaller companies responsible for most new antibiotic development are struggling to stay in business.
4. The report calls for more incentives to fuel antibiotic development, improved stewardship to maintain the effectiveness of existing antibiotics, and increased collaboration among regulatory, federal and industry stakeholders.