The U.S. Congress Joint Economic Committee (JEC) found that antimicrobial resistance can cost the U.S. at least $5.7 billion annually, and a new bipartisan bill seeks to tackle the healthcare threat.
Sens. Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., and Roger Marshall, R-Kan., introduced the “Stop Superbugs Act” Aug. 4. The bill (PDF) would formally authorize the Antimicrobial Resistance Leadership Group grant through the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
The grant would support rapid clinical trial participant recruitment; conduct clinical trial outreach in community settings; support better diagnostics and new antibiotic pairings in clinical trials and develop patient-reported outcomes in clinical studies.
Hassan said in a statement that doctors treating patients with antibiotic-resistant infections often have to try multiple medications, “and in some cases, no treatment options exist.”
“Developing new antibiotics is a priority not just for the health of our people but for our national security, because as we face the challenge of combating superbugs and defending against other outbreaks, our foreign adversaries are growing increasingly sophisticated in their own biotechnology,” Hassan said. “If the United States does not keep up with the science and innovation coming from countries like China, we risk falling behind and becoming reliant on critical new medications that are only available abroad.”
The JEC report (PDF)—citing U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data—said “superbugs” infect more than 2.8 million Americans annually, with more than 35,000 patients dying.
The estimated financial strain from antimicrobial resistance is “likely an underestimate,” the report noted.
“We've made incredible progress because of antibiotics, but they’re only valuable if they still work. Drug-resistant infections are becoming more common, and we need to be ready,” Marshall said in a statement. “The STOP Superbugs Act helps strengthen the research network and clinical trials needed to speed new treatments from the lab to the bedside.”