Drug companies contribute to the rise in antibiotic resistance

Major pharmaceutical companies may have contributed to the global rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, according to a new report from Sum of Us, a consumer watchdog group. Most antibiotics are manufactured in China and India, according to the report, but recent investigations reveal the byproducts of that manufacturing include pollutants that contribute to antibiotic resistance. Many major pharmaceutical players, including Pfizer, have sourced antibiotics to NCPC, a manufacturer that is alleged to have dumped these pollutants. Sum of Us' investigation found similar links between McKesson and an Indian company that sources from several Chinese factories accused of similar pollution. "In an age when [antimicrobial resistance] is threatening to destroy the health system as we know it, there is simply no excuse for turning a blind eye," according to the report's executive summary. Report (.pdf)