The superbug crisis: Congress aims to encourage pharma to develop new antibiotics

A bipartisan group of lawmakers last week reintroduced legislation to encourage innovative drug development targeting the most threatening infections, improve the appropriate use of antibiotics and ensure domestic availability of antibiotics when needed. The legislation is called the Pioneering Antimicrobial Subscriptions to End Upsurging Resistance (PASTEUR) Act.

“Right now, we don’t have the tools to address the threat posed by antimicrobial resistance — and infectious disease experts are warning us that it will only get worse,” said U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., who cosponsored the bill. “The bipartisan PASTEUR Act is the strongest bill ever written to strengthen antibiotic development and use. It will fix our market failures, expand the pipeline for next-generation antibiotics and save lives. We can’t sit on our hands as this public health crisis arrives — we have to act now.”

More than 2.8 million antibiotic-resistant infections occur in the United States each year, and at least 35,000 people die as a result, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The PASTEUR Act would:

• Establish a subscription model to encourage innovative antimicrobial drug development aimed at treating drug-resistant infections.
• Include in subscription contracts terms and conditions that include product availability to individuals on a government health insurance plan, supporting appropriate use and completion of post-marketing studies.
• Build on existing frameworks to improve use of the CDC National Healthcare Safety Network, the Emerging Infections Program and other programs to collect and report on antibiotic use and resistance data.
• Include transition measures such as smaller subscription contracts to support novel antimicrobial drug developers that need a financial lifeline.
• Form a Committee on Critical Need Antimicrobials, consisting of representatives from federal agencies, doctors, patients and outside experts, to develop and implement necessary guidance regarding infections of concern and the favored characteristics of potential treatments.

Related: The COVID public health emergency is ending, but is America safe?

The legislation has received widespread support from organizations that focus on issues involving antibiotics. In a letter to Congress in March, 237 organizations signed their support ot the PASTEUR Act.

“The need for legislative solutions to address the public health challenges posed by antimicrobial resistance has been mounting for quite some time now, and we applaud the sponsors of the PASTEUR Act for their leadership,” said Candace DeMatteis, vice president of policy for the Partnership to Fight Infectious Disease. “This bill will make new novel antibiotics a reality for patients and providers and fortify our healthcare system for future generations. Antimicrobial resistance impacts us all, and protection against the increasing threats of infection is not a partisan issue. We encourage broad support and quick passage of the PASTEUR Act.”