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Accelerating innovation in rapid diagnostics and targeted antibacterials

Nature Biotechnology volume 33, pages 589–590 (2015)Cite this article

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To the Editor:

Antibiotics are an essential part of nearly every aspect of modern medicine, but the proliferation of drug resistance threatens the effectiveness and sustainability of these lifesaving resources. In September 2014, President Barack Obama signed an executive order directing federal resources to improve detection and prevention of antibiotic resistance, with a goal of developing a diagnostic test by 2020 that can distinguish between bacterial and viral infections in at least 20 min1. Improved diagnostic tests could also promote the development of narrow-spectrum agents, which have activity against pathogenic bacteria without disturbing commensal species. Here we explore two ways in which the federal government can collaborate with key stakeholders: piloting an expedited regulatory approval program tailored to new antibacterials and directing prizes and research funding to promote the development of rapid diagnostics and targeted antibacterial therapies.

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References

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Author notes

  1. akesselheim@partners.org

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA

    Thomas J Hwang & Daniel Carpenter

  2. The Blackstone Group, London, UK

    Thomas J Hwang

  3. George Washington University School of Medicine, Washington, DC, USA

    John H Powers

  4. Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA

    Daniel Carpenter

  5. Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Department of Medicine, Program on Regulation, Therapeutics, and Law (PORTAL), Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

    Aaron S Kesselheim

Authors
  1. Thomas J Hwang
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  2. John H Powers
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  3. Daniel Carpenter
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  4. Aaron S Kesselheim
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Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Thomas J Hwang or Aaron S Kesselheim.

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The authors declare no competing financial interests.

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Hwang, T., Powers, J., Carpenter, D. et al. Accelerating innovation in rapid diagnostics and targeted antibacterials. Nat Biotechnol 33, 589–590 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1038/nbt.3251

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