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Why microbial diagnostics need more than money

Nature Biotechnology volume 33, pages 898–900 (2015)Cite this article

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To the Editor:

In their correspondence entitled “Accelerating innovation in rapid diagnostics and targeted antibacterials,” Aaron Kesselheim and his colleagues1 make important points about the need for novel therapies and refer also to the need for companion diagnostics in the fight against antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Without equally strong advocacy for diagnostic R&D, as for treatment, resistance will develop even to new drugs, without the diagnostic tools designed to ensure their appropriate use. The authors propose solutions to overcome some of the regulatory hurdles faced in the rapid approval of urgently needed novel pharmaceuticals in the United States and note the lack of funding and related initiatives to promote R&D of needed drugs and diagnostics. Nonetheless, the fight against AMR is a global one, and solutions found for higher-income countries will not necessarily meet the needs of low- and middle-income countries, where ensuring accurate diagnosis and treatment, and avoiding overprescription of antibiotics, are just as important to preserve the effectiveness of existing therapies worldwide.

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References

  1. Hwang, T.J., Powers, J.H., Carpenter, D. & Kesselheim, A.S. Nat. Biotechnol. 33, 589–590 (2015).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. WHO. Global action plan on antimicrobial resistance. (WHO, May 2015). http://www.who.int/drugresistance/global_action_plan/en/

  3. International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers & Associations. Rethinking The Way We Fight Bacteria. (IFPMS, April 2015). http://www.ifpma.org/fileadmin/content/Publication/2015/IFPMA_Rethinking_the_way_we_fight_bacteria_April2015_FINAL.pdf

  4. Davies, S. WISH 2015 policy briefing. Developing an action plan to tackle antimicrobial resistance (AMR): where to start? (World Innovation Summit for Health, 2015). http://dpnfts5nbrdps.cloudfront.net/app/media/1696

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  1. Mark Kessel is at FIND, Geneva, Switzerland.,

    Mark Kessel

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  1. Mark Kessel
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Correspondence to Mark Kessel.

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Kessel, M. Why microbial diagnostics need more than money. Nat Biotechnol 33, 898–900 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1038/nbt.3328

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