Stopping the Superbug Threat: A Growing Imperative

The CDC recently reported that a study of 5,776 bacteria samples from nursing homes and hospitals across the country found 221 cases of “nightmare bacteria”—bacteria that are nearly impossible to treat with available drugs and have mortality rates as high as 50 percent. Each year more than 2 million Americans become infected with some form of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. And while total bacterial infections have held steady, cases of antibiotic-resistant infection rose from 5 to 11 percent in just over a decade. Superbugs are a significant threat to public health that requires we rethink the way we develop and use antibiotics.

This webinar explored strategies for holding the superbug threat in check. Speakers discussed:

• The CDC’s containment strategy for antibiotic resistance, which includes testing patients who are asymptomatic but might carry and spread the germs
• Strengthening financial incentives to bring novel antibiotics to market, including through FDA fast-tracking, market exclusivity and value-based reimbursement
• The impact of past congressional legislation to spur the development of new antibiotics
• Ways to reduce inappropriate prescription of antibiotics, such as using insurance data to identify unusual prescription patterns for targeted interventions
• How journalistic storytelling can help patients understand the personal and global risks of antibiotic misuse and begin to change behaviors